Anew: The Lake
by CaptainReina
Summary: In the far future, a band of seven apprentices spread across all Clans are given a message - "You must reforge what is lost." Together, they must interpret its meaning and try to determine what they must do. Rated T to be safe. Updates Wednesdays and Saturdays.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: there will not be allegiances because a) ffn frowns upon chapters without story content and b) the current Clans are temporary, but if you wish for a list to assist you, feel free to message me.**

* * *

_"You are here."_

_Mist swirled between her paws, cold and intimidating. Around her, the shapes of several cats wavered in the mist, some much clearer than others, and one of the dim ones was speaking - a hulking white tom._

_"You are chosen."_

* * *

Acornpaw woke with a startled gasp.

All of the nests around her were empty - the apprentice's den remained as silent and lonely as ever. Slowly, her muscles groaning in protest, Acornpaw heaved herself upright, feeling as though she had hardly slept at all. She leaned down to give her shoulder a few licks, trying to wash out the feeling of moisture from her fur. She squinted in annoyance at the sunlight that filtered in through the brambles at the entrance of the den. It burned her eyes, but also warmed her pelt and pushed out the chill from the mist in her dream.

What a dream it had been! There had been so many cats, none of them familiar, all circling more cats she did not know. She did a quick tally in her head; six cats, all looking about her age - give or take, as one of the toms looked huge for an apprentice - though none of them she recognized, with another three cats in the middle of them all. Their transparent pelts and the stars at their paws stuck out in her memory.

Could they be - ?

"Acornpaw!" snapped Rockgorse, shoving his head into the entryway of the den. The apprentice jumped as he glared her down. "If you're awake, get out here and go on patrol!"

_Mouse dung!_ Acornpaw flinched, cringing under his hard gaze. The ThunderClan deputy was known to be grumpy at best and cruel at worst. She was asking for it by staying up so late, sure, and she_ did_ need to get to work if she did not want to be scorned by her Clanmates - moreso than usual, anyway - but the details of her dream were blurring the longer she was distracted and she did not want to forget them.

"Are you listening?" Rockgorse shouldered his way inside with some difficulty and shoved his face close to hers so that they were nose-to-nose. "Have you got bees in your brain, apprentice? Get. Out. There."

"I . . . uh," Acornpaw stuttered, thinking hard and getting nothing but white noise. "I-I have - I think I got, uh - a thorn, in my paw. I, um. I think . . . I need to see Timberstorm?"

"A thorn," Rockgorse repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Acornpaw gulped and nodded. "Yes. A thorn. From . . . my nest. I think."

Rockgorse snorted. He drew back, his tail thumping against the ground in irritation, but he shifted aside to let her pass. "Next time, build your nest correctly, birdbrain," he sneered. "Make it fast. You're on hunting patrol."

"Yes, Rockgorse," Acornpaw mumbled, stumbling over her paws in her hurry to slink past him, and while it elicited another derisive snort it also easily sold the lie.

Acornpaw lifted her front right paw as she trotted quietly along the edges of the camp, avoiding the center clearing and other cats. Rockgorse was making his way back toward the leader's den, where Furstar was no doubt waiting for him, and Acornpaw quickly averted her gaze when a grumpy elder turned lamplike eyes skeptically on her "injured" paw. She hurried to the brambles of the medicine den before any cat could start asking questions.

"Timberstorm?" she called out hesitantly into the cave opening.

The only answer was the echo of her own voice, so she slunk quietly past the brambles and into the dim medicine den. One inside, she allowed herself to set her paw back onto the cool stone and peered around as her eyes adjusted to the gloom.

"What do you want?" Timberstorm groaned, perpetually irritated, and before Acornpaw could pinpoint his location, the medicine cat was ungracefully backing out of the herb storage nook. "What is it? Moss? Bile? Can't apprentices do anything on their own anymore?"

"Actually, Timberstorm," Acornpaw tried, dipping her head respectfully, "I was hoping I could talk to you."

"I have better things to do than talk to anyone," Timberstorm sighed, turning away from her once more. "Rockgorse undoubtedly has better things for you to do, as well, so get out and stop bothering me."

Frustrated, Acornpaw burst out, "I had a dream!"

"Congratulations. Can you leave now?"

"I think it was a message from StarClan!" Timberstorm paused at the claim, going completely still except for the twitch of his tail-tip. At his silence, Acornpaw was urged to continue. "There were lots of cats, cats I could see through and that I didn't know, and their fur sparkled like - "

"StarClan doesn't send dreams," Timberstorm interrupted sharply, shoulders bunched up and muscles tense. He swung his head around, eyes blazing, and Acornpaw took a step back. "Even if they did, they certainly wouldn't entrust a prophecy to a useless, idle, liar of an apprentice!"

Acornpaw stared, shocked, into his furious green eyes. More than angry, Timberstorm looked_ insulted._ Did StarClan truly never speak anymore? Had Timberstorm never received a message from their ancestors?

"Now get out, and don't bother me again!"

Acornpaw stumbled out of the den quickly with her heart pounding, her fur snagging uncomfortably on the brambles and making her look just as disheveled as she felt. She halted a tail-length away from the entrance and willed her heart to slow, giving her chest fur a few self-soothing licks and trying not to let her heart sink.

"Acornpaw! The patrol left without us. Are you ready to go?"

The apprentice swung her head around to see a dark brown she-cat trotting toward her from the entrance to camp, amber eyes fixed on her in that familiar stern gaze that meant a scolding was coming. Acornpaw shook her fur out, willing it to fix itself, and moved to meet Rowantail in the middle.

"I'm sorry," Acornpaw mewed, shame burning her pelt. Not only had she wasted time by waking up late and faking an injury, but she had gained nothing from it but two more cats angry at her. Now her mentor was going to be the third. But Rowantail looked her over, concern sparking in her eyes, and offered her a friendly bump of shoulders.

"Everything alright?" she asked, tilting her head sympathetically. "Timberstorm gets fussy with everyone. You weren't in there for anything important, though, I hope?" she added, giving her apprentice a quick once-over.

"I'm not hurt," Acornpaw replied evasively. "Can we hunt now? I'm hungry."

It was another lie, and Rowantail probably knew it, but her mentor was not one to cause a scene in front of the clan. Instead, the older of the two nodded. "Let's go, then."

They padded out of the camp and through the thorn tunnel, paws falling into familiar grooves and carrying them down a path worn by hundreds, if not thousands of cats before them. The clans had lived here longer than any cat in living memory, or even the cats alive before them, if what the elders said was true.

The Clans had been around forever. Would they ever die? Words drifted to Acornpaw from a voice too ethereal to be real, familiar from the landscape of her dreams. Perhaps they would.

"You're lagging behind." Rowantail's annoyed gripe sounded in her ear, and she jumped. Her mentor perched on the trunk of a fallen tree, wrapping her tail over her paws. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Acornpaw tried to hide, but Rowantail was having none of it.

"Secrets are fine," the older cat scolded, "until your performance suffers because of it. So tell me what's up. You're going to be a warrior in just over a moon, Acornpaw, and warriors don't daydream."

Embarrassment twisting her expression, Acornpaw shuffled her paws nervously against the dirt, unable to meet her mentor's gaze. "It's stupid. I won't daydream anymore, so let's just go."

"I'm the mentor, here," Rowantail replied. Her tail thumped gently against the bark. "Come sit, and tell me already. I don't want to sit here all day and come home empty-pawed, but I will, and guess who's going to be punished for it? Not me."

Thoroughly repelled by the idea of being sentenced to pick ticks off the elders' pelts for a moon, Acornpaw clawed her way up to sit beside Rowantail, the jump a lot higher of a distance for her shorter legs. Rowantail gave an amused little trill at her effort and kept her gaze on her apprentice as she settled on the fallen log.

"I had a dream," Acornpaw started. She stopped, unsure how to continue. The last cat she had tried to talk to simply got angry with her. _Not even a medicine cat believed me. Why would anyone else?_

"We all have dreams, mouse-brain," Rowantail said, tone light. "What about?"

"It's silly," Acornpaw settled on as a preface. If Rowantail thought so, too, then they could just laugh it off and move on. "There were just some see-through cats, and I thought it might be a message, but I mean, that's stupid. Why would StarClan say anything to plain old me instead of our medicine cat?"

"No wonder Timberstorm got cranky," Rowantail purred, sounding amused. Acornpaw nodded mutely, regret coursing through her. Of course the implication would have upset him. "Did they say anything interesting?"

Acornpaw hesitated, glancing up to search those amber pools. They told little except for a small spark that might have been interest. Did Rowantail perhaps . . . believe her?

"I don't know," Acornpaw lied anyway, decidedly unwilling to risk being shamed for something too serious. "Something about being chosen, and saving the Clans, or whatever. Now that I say it aloud it just sounds like I've been taking the elders' kit tales too seriously." That was less of a lie. Saying it aloud made her feel like a kit playing pretend in the nursery. _What a load of nonsense,_ Acornpaw thought, now even more glum.

"I don't think so," Rowantail mewed sincerely. Acornpaw blinked.

"You don't?"

Rowantail shrugged at her. She stood, stretched, and bounded off the log, tail swishing in the air. "I've had a lot of silly dreams," she said, "but I've never had anything that actually felt like a prophecy from StarClan. I don't think any cat could say so."

_A prophecy!_ Acornpaw's spine tingled at the word coming from her mentor's mouth, relieving and terrifying and validating. She hopped down to stand next to her, practically vibrating with excitement, but Rowantail's serious amber gaze pinned her suddenly, making her deflate in an instant.

"Don't try to go and tell anyone else about this," her mentor warned, voice so low and quiet Acornpaw could hardly hear her, let alone an eavesdropper. "You should know by now that the Clan will not take word of a prophecy well, let alone out of the mouth of a kit."

"I'm not a kit," Acornpaw complained, tail flicking crossly, but Rowantail silenced her with a glare.

"We can work it out together, later," Rowantail promised, turning to head off into the woods. "For now, let's hunt. You know what Furstar says."

Acornpaw's belly rumbled at the thought of a fat squirrel or mouse, and recoiled at the idea of Furstar pinning her with a disappointed glare and banishing her to starve for not catching enough prey. She may not have been hungry earlier, but she sure was now, so she bounded after her mentor and fell into step with her, raising her head to sniff for food.

"Do you really think it could be real?" she asked, unable to contain her growing excitement. Rowantail gave her a withering look.

"You're going to scare off every mouse from here to the lake," she retorted, giving Acornpaw a light cuff over the ears. She softened a little at the irritated squeak her apprentice gave. "I think it could have merit."

Acornpaw gave a pleased little bounce in place, then quickly sobered up. She really was going to scare off all the prey. "Thank you," she mewed instead.

Rowantail rolled her eyes and butted their shoulders together. "I smell pigeon. Come on."

Acornpaw fought not to prance loudly after her.


	2. Chapter 2

_The gray expanse seemed to stretch on forever, endless, with no discernible horizon. He glanced over to see his sister's vibrant green eyes shining brilliantly against the gloom, taking in the words spoken to them._

_"We know you must be confused, but your world is in shambles."_

* * *

"Get up, Stonepaw! Dawn patrol!"

The big gray apprentice shook himself awake, then shook his head again quickly for good measure. Any other night, he would have chalked that dream up to eating a bad minnow, but after seeing her next to him in that confusing gray world, he knew something was amiss. He never dreamed of her, and they certainly never shared dreams - that was to say, as far as he knew, no cat ever did.

He stepped over a snoring apprentice and staggered out of the den, jaws opening in a wide yawn. Was she awake yet? He swung his head toward the medicine den, staring longingly at its entrance. He could just take a quick peek and see if she was awake, at least. Ask if she had the same dream. She could call him stupid and he could repay her for her time by helping gather herbs now that it was newleaf -

"Have you got actual stones in your paws? Let's go!"

Stonepaw gazed yearningly at the medicine den for only a moment longer, then sighed and turned tail to meet up with his mentor. Molebreeze cuffed him over the head when he joined the group of senior warriors, staring down his nose in contempt with his lip curled into a sneer.

"Take your sweet time, why don't you?" he grumbled, turning swiftly and lashing his tail across Stonepaw's nose. The apprentice let out an apologetic little grunt. "You're the apprentice of the deputy. You should know better than to drag your paws."

"If he can't live up to the title, maybe he should just leave RiverClan," another warrior scoffed. "Go live with the kittypets or something."

Stonepaw only ducked his head and kept quiet. If he protested what the older cats were saying, they would only attack him more, or worse, dish out some kind of punishment. He should have come straight to his mentor, anyway. He may not have deserved the verbal abuse, but Stonepaw knew he had the sense to avoid unnecessarily baiting his seniors. That stupid dream had just messed him up.

What could it mean? _I bet she would know,_ he thought glumly, wishing he could return to camp already. He really needed to talk to her about it. Perhaps he could after patrol; he could hope, at least.

He followed his mentor silently as they waded through the river, shaking his fur out and keeping conscious that he did not wet the others. Of course, they showed him no such courtesy in return, and took off without him after drenching his pelt with water once more. He quickly dried himself the best he could before speeding off to catch up with them.

"Yes, stop and smell the flowers," Molebreeze grunted when he caught up. "It's not like we have ShadowClan scum to warn off or anything."

It was best not to apologize, Stonepaw had learned. Instead, he followed after his Clanmates to the border, and sat silently with his tail curled over his paws as they marked the territory, his eyes sweeping over the seemingly endless expanse of dark pines that made up ShadowClan. Was it the same over there, he wondered? Were the elders bitter, the warriors mean, the leader uncaring? Were the apprentices forced to endure unnecessary abuse and driven to apathy like they were here?

Molebreeze snapped at him to stop daydreaming, and Stonepaw forced himself out of his own head and away from the border. The walk back to camp was silent, thankfully so; Stonepaw even had a moment to bask in the sunshine that was starting to rise over the camp before his next order.

Cats were filtering out into the clearing, stretching and griping at one another, and one or two sat at the river's edge, presumably fishing. A queen padded out of the nursery with two kits on her heels. They were big enough to be apprentices, and would probably be crowned such any day now. Molebreeze padded off to touch noses with his mate and scold the kits for something-or-other. Apparently no cat was free from his tyranny.

There was rustling in the thornbush over the medicine den, and Stonepaw swung his head around, his heart lifting hopefully. Sure enough, there was that familiar golden spotted pelt, and green eyes found his in a heartbeat. Something knowing sparked in her gaze, and in an instant, he knew the dream was not only his own.

Stonepaw took a few steps forward toward her, only for Molebreeze to turn his attention back to his apprentice. "Make yourself useful and hunt," the deputy ordered. "Bring the best catch to Jumpdrop, or else."

His mate turned her nose up at Stonepaw, sweeping her kits closer to herself, and demanded, "Make it a trout."

"I want vole," one of the kits - Otterkit, if Stonepaw remembered correctly - complained. Jumpdrop sneered at her.

"Then starve," she growled.

Uncomfortable and unwilling to listen to the very unmotherly way Jumpdrop was speaking any longer, Stonepaw bowed his head hurriedly and nearly sprinted out of camp.

* * *

"Stonepaw!"

Stonepaw stirred in his nest, squeezing his eyes tighter shut. Who was calling for him? Not Molebreeze, but he made a noise of irritation anyway. Couldn't they see he was trying to sleep?

"Stonepaw, you fishbrain!" the voice hissed quietly at him, and he cracked one eye open blearily, bristling at the name. "Get out here before I end up waking the whole Clan!"

Stonepaw shook his head tiredly and rose his chin off his paws. As if he wasn't trying hard enough to sleep. If he could just recreate his dream from before, maybe he could speak with her there, or at least try to gain a better understanding of what was going on. But the threat of everyone waking up - even just the other apprentice in the den with him - was enough to stir him, so he stretched, stood, and looked toward the entrance.

Green eyes sparkled mischievously at him, and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. "Come on," Mintpaw whispered, then bounded off out of sight.

Stonepaw scrambled noisily after her, but the sleeping apprentice nearby only snorted and rolled over. He burst into the moonlit clearing and glanced around, catching a golden tail disappearing into a bed of reeds. He padded after it, pushing past the tall grass, and nearly ran into the she-cat inside.

"Watch it," she snapped playfully, butting her head against his shoulder. "Sorry to wake you."

Stonepaw seated himself beside his sister, pressing close to share warmth in the chilly night air. "It's okay. I wanted to talk, anyway."

"Could've fooled me with how long you took to get up," Mintpaw teased. She softened and closed her eyes, bunched muscles relaxing somewhat. "It's good to see you."

"Sorry I'm always busy."

"It's that foxheart's fault." Mintpaw's voice was bitter, no doubt imagining giving Molebreeze a piece of her mind. "He works you to the bone." She paused, shifting her paws uncomfortably. "Not that Lichenpuddle is any better. My paws are still stinging from all those nettles."

They fell into silence, Stonepaw trying hard not to bristle at the thought of RiverClan's medicine cat making his sister do all the work in the medicine den.

"What do you think that dream meant?" Mintpaw asked finally.

"What, that the world is in shambles?" Stonepaw suppressed an ironic purr. "Look around. I don't know about the other Clans, but this can't be normal."

"Well, yeah," Mintpaw mewed, rolling her eyes. "But what's the point of telling us? We already know. What are we supposed to do to fix it? And those other cats . . . "

"They looked our age," Stonepaw commented. Mintpaw gave a quiet _mrrow_ of laughter.

_"My_ age, maybe," she joked. "You look like a warrior already." She paused, tilting her head, and Stonepaw recognized her face when deep in thought. "I think I might have recognized one of them. Maybe?"

"You did?!" Stonepaw demanded loudly. Mintpaw glared at him, and he shrunk a little, apologetically repeating in a whisper, "Sorry. You did?"

"Maybe," Mintpaw said again. "One of them - that pretty silver tabby - I think I might have seen her at the border, once. Gathering herbs. She might be a medicine cat apprentice."

Stonepaw knew he should not already be excited, but could not help it. "Do you think they're all from other Clans? Could you see her again?"

Mintpaw dwelled on it for a few moments more while Stonepaw squirmed impatiently. "Maybe at the Moonpool? If she recognizes me, too, she might try to go to the next half-moon visit. I don't know if Lichenpuddle will let me go, though. He only brought me there once."

"Well, while you convince him," Stonepaw said, already itching to go find the others, "I'll take as many border patrols as I can and see if I spot any of the others! Maybe more than one of them is in ShadowClan. I mean, both of us were there, and we're both in the same Clan!"

"You do that." Mintpaw nudged him playfully, tone teasing. "While you're at it, try not to invoke any more of Molebreeze's wrath." Her jaws opened in a wide yawn, and Stonepaw found himself copying the motion. "You should sleep if you're going to catch the dawn patrol."

"You too," Stonepaw echoed, suddenly feeling guilty for keeping her up with so much small talk before the important stuff. "I guess this is where we part ways."

"Walk me back," Mintpaw told him, a little petulant, but Stonepaw was happy for the excuse to spend more time together. They padded side-by-side out of the reeds and to the medicine den, sharing a gentle headbutt. "Good luck," she mewed softly.

"You too," Stonepaw replied. "Let's keep this to ourselves, yeah?"

"Mhm," Mintpaw agreed, too tired for words.

They both had a hard time sleeping that night.


	3. Chapter 3

_She swung her head around as the starry cats spoke, trying to commit the appearances of the other cats to memory. A battle-scarred she-cat grabbed her attention, green eyes blazing, and her heart thundered against her ribcage._

_"It is your duty to reforge what was lost."_

* * *

Borage, tansy, cobwebs. Newleaf brought new shoots of herbs to restock their bare stores, and a spider in the back of their den for easily accessible webs. Lightpaw carefully rolled some of it in a neat bundle and set it aside.

"I think I'm going to go see if the thyme is growing," she said aloud, glancing at the mangy lump of fur huddled in a nest at the corner of the den as she collected some leaf wraps from the store. "Is that okay?"

Meadowbranch shifted a tiny bit, accompanied by a soft grunt. "Whatever you say," the medicine cat replied distantly.

Suppressing a sigh, Lightpaw stood and shook out the stiffness from her limbs. With one last glance toward her mentor, she slipped out of the cool, dark den and into the warm sunlight outside, a bundle of leaves in her jaws. A gentle breeze swept through the camp. She relished in the way it filtered through her fur; for a few moments, her eyes slid blissfully shut, and she did her best to ignore the loud arguing at the camp entrance.

_Who's going on what patrol? She doesn't like him, that one steals kills - what a petty thing to fight over when the whole Clan needs as much food as they can get. Prey-stealers coming from inside the Clan, huh?_

None of it mattered. They would come to a temporary resolution, go their separate ways, come back and bicker some more, maybe even fight, then go to sleep and start all over again the next morning..

Lightpaw sighed softly, cracked an eye open, and glanced at that day's culprits: Whiskerthroat, unsurprisingly, standing up to Shiningtalon, who had his hackles raised. It seemed nobody respected the deputy these days. The quarrels happened daily. She recognized her father, Quickbreeze, trying to get between them, his familiar placating tone drifting across the camp to her ears. It was a lost cause, but at least some cat tried.

Perhaps she should confide in him about her peculiar dream. If not Meadowbranch, then her father was the best option, though she wondered if he even cared to hear. Later, most likely. He would probably be at this all day.

_Thyme,_ Lightpaw reminded herself, shaking her head, and made her way past the quarreling warriors near the entrance. Her father waved his tail in a distracted greeting, and she flicked hers in response.

While she wished her mentor was more present in the real world, she did not envy the animosity the warrior apprentices would grow to mimic. Already they fought like their mentors, showing up in her den after unsheathing their claws during training and berating her even as she dressed their wounds. They all thought her useless, just as everyone else did, unworthy of the prey they caught.

_At least I can hunt on my own if things go belly-up,_ Lightpaw thought glumly. Quickbreeze had taught her himself, admittedly while he was supposed to be teaching his own apprentice. Her father always went the extra mile. It was rare nowadays that kits had any relationship with their parents; they were usually pawned off on mentors as soon as possible and forgotten. Lightpaw was lucky. Of course, her father often proclaimed that he was the lucky one.

What a sap.

Her paws carried her across the moor and away from the squabbling at camp, and Lightpaw felt the tension in her shoulders relax somewhat at the peace and quiet. Near a cluster of heather bushes was the thyme she was after, thriving in the warm sunlight. Lightpaw wrinkled her nose; the scent was almost overpowering with it all crowded together in a small bunch.

She unsheathed her claws to carefully select some good shoots when a voice drifted to her over the moor. "Lightpaw!" She glanced up and spotted her father uphill, watching as his dusty tabby pelt streaked across the grass almost faster than she could keep up with. Despite his age, Quickbreeze had not lost his title of fastest in the Clan.

"Hi," she greeted lamely. She dropped the bundle of leaves in her mouth once he caught up to her, his breathing hardly impacted by the sprinting. He offered a slightly breathless chuckle.

"What an enthusiastic way to greet your old man," he joked, butting shoulders gently. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Aren't you supposed to be hunting?" Lightpaw countered instead of answering. She hardly wanted her father to get in trouble for her. Quickbreeze only shrugged, however.

"You come first," he said simply.

Lightpaw appreciated the sentiment but, glancing around, found there was little her father could really do to help, unless she felt like instructing him the whole time. She eventually settled on gesturing to a few tall stalks of grass. "You could tie the bundles for me, I guess. If you want."

"Whatever will help!" Quickbreeze replied cheerfully.

He busied himself with straightening out the leaves tidily, and Lightpaw went to work plucking the thyme that was at its prime. Her father seemed so chipper despite the earlier altercation. Perhaps it would be an alright time to talk?

"You're quiet," Quickbreeze commented.

But what would he care for a dream? Lightpaw was not going to deny its importance, but doubted it would mean much to him. "I'm always quiet."

"Alright, then," Quickbreeze tried again, "you're distracted." He nudged her gently, and she nearly clipped the wrong stem. "Mooning over a boy, maybe?" he teased.

Lightpaw snorted. "I don't like boys."

"Or a girl," Quickbreeze amended casually. Lightpaw wrinkled her nose and briefly stuck her tongue out, equal parts amused and disgusted.

"I don't like girls, either," she mewed firmly. Quickbreeze relented with a small chirp of laughter.

"Alright," he allowed. Lightpaw turned and dropped a bundle of thyme on one of the leaves, and he set to rolling it up and carefully looping a sturdy blade of grass around it. "So what's on your mind?"

"A dream," Lightpaw answered. For all her hesitance, she would do anything to stop his badgering about _mooning,_ of all things. She never wanted a mate. She was not supposed to have one, anyway, not that it stopped the scandals from coming left and right. "Nothing important."

"It must be pretty important to have you so distant." Of course Quickbreeze would not give up so easily. "Do you think it's prophetic?" At Lightpaw's snort, he hastily added, "Of course, I could just be overly hopeful."

"It's prophetic, alright," Lightpaw muttered. The obvious difference between StarClan cats and real ones, the familiar scent of Clan cats, the telltale signs of new dreamers. It was a clear message, and one she was unfortunately and undoubtedly expected to act on. "Something about reforging what was lost."

"What was lost?" Quickbreeze echoed.

Lightpaw offered a shrug. "Probably referring to how terrible Clan life is."

Quickbreeze did not respond to that, and Lightpaw worried for a moment that she had gotten a little too pessimistic for his tastes. She glanced up at him when she dropped another bundle at his paws. In contrast to her fears, his eyes were gleaming with excitement, and Lightpaw scorned herself for worrying. Of course he was too excitable to be let down so easily.

"Some of us have been doubting," he said, lowering his voice as if they would not have already noticed any eavesdroppers on the wide, empty moor. "The elders tell stories, ones their mothers told them, of how the Clans used to be great. Far before any of our times, I mean. What if we could fix that? Or you could?"

With every word her father spoke, a weight sunk in her gut like stones. Fix what? The relationships between cats that had never held any love for one another? The generations of ideals that had everyone doubting the importance of her job, and some insisting elders were dead weight to be abandoned? The bonds between Clans that tore out the throats of one another without a second thought?

"That's a lot of work for an apprentice," Lightpaw mewed uneasily.

Quickbreeze sighed, but the spark in his eyes did not fade, and Lightpaw knew it would come up again. "I suppose you're right. Well, let's at least see what we can do here! We can try to make things a little better right here at home, right?"

_Do I have to?_

"Alright," Lightpaw replied, trying hard to sound cheerful, for her father's sake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update. I've been at a convention all weekend and yesterday was hectic. Next update will be on time.**

* * *

_Paws tingling with excitement, she glanced to her left, and realized she recognized the tom sitting beside her. Before she could greet him, the final cat spoke, her voice soft and solemn._

_"You must," she said, "if the Clans are to survive."_

* * *

_A prophecy! No - a message?!_

"Whatever you're doing," Newthawk snapped, "stop it! I can't concentrate with all that fidgeting! Make yourself useful for once, will you?"

Echopaw winced, but her excitement, for once, could not be dulled by her spiteful mentor. "What can I do?" she asked, as calmly as she could muster to avoid annoying him further. Newthawk growled, tail lashing, and turned to snap at her. She reared back just in time, his teeth closing a whisker away from her forepaw.

"I don't care," he seethed, "as long as you're out of my sight!"

He was crabbier than usual that morning, and Echopaw was quick to dart out of the medicine den. Her back paw slipped unceremoniously on the pine needles underfoot at the last second, spraying them her mentor's way, and she sprinted as quickly as she could through the thorn tunnel as an aggravated shriek rose up behind her. She felt a bit guilty, likely having completely destroyed her mentor's work, but was not about to risk his wrath to help him sort it back out.

Besides, this gave her an excellent opportunity to find the other apprentice she had seen in her dream. He was a tom she knew well, one many warriors had whispered about how he would rise quickly in the clan. His hunting skills were certainly something to marvel at, at the very least. Because of that, he was out on hunting patrol, which meant he was probably alone.

Echopaw moved freely through the pine trees, knowing few would question the medicine cat apprentice wandering alone. She passed two hunting cats, waving her tail in a cheerful and unreciprocated greeting, before finally stumbling upon her quarry - literally, as it were, pushing past some of the undergrowth only to step on a black tail.

Positive it was an adder or some other unpleasant intruder, Echopaw shrieked, fumbled, and crashed backward into some bracken. The hunting cat straightened with an annoyed huff, swinging his head around and fixing irate yellow eyes on her.

Echopaw quickly untangled herself from the bush with a sheepish chuckle. "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"Considering you just chased off all the prey from here to camp," Silentpaw replied, an edge to his mew, "no, I'm not busy anymore. What do you want?"

Echopaw flattened her ears in shame. She thought back to her own mentor, and how she should at least be trying to collect some herbs, and how he would probably punish her for wasted time regardless. Would Silentpaw's mentor do the same? He had a reputation to uphold, after all. But this was important - she was positive Silentpaw would want to listen. _I'll make it quick, then._

"You remember our dream last night, right?" she asked, unsure of where to start. The other apprentice's eyes narrowed, and she stumbled over her words in an effort to get her point across quicker. "I know I saw you there. I think StarClan - "

"I don't want anything to do with any nonsense dream," Silentpaw interrupted, tail thumping against the ground for emphasis.

Gaping, Echopaw protested, "But - "

"The Clan needs me," the tuxedo continued, padding close to shove his face in hers. "It needs you, too. You should focus on what you already have instead of chasing after some half-baked prophecy."

_What I already have?_

"Silentpaw!"

"Frog-dung," Silentpaw hissed under his breath, ears flattening, answering Echopaw's earlier wonder about his mentor. "You need to - "

"Explain why you're gossiping with a medicine cat instead of doing your duty to the Clan?" came a raspy voice, and Deadthroat emerged from the brush with his scarred muzzle held high.

Silentpaw immediately ducked his head. Echopaw, bristling, said, "I was just talking to him - "

"Talk doesn't feed hungry bellies," Deadthroat snarled. Echopaw was getting really tired of being interrupted. "Aren't you supposed to be picking flowers?"

"She was asking me to be an extra pair of paws," Silentpaw muttered, shuffling his paws. Deadthroat glared down his nose at the two of them.

"There are far more useless apprentices than mine you can use," he growled at Echopaw, lashing his tail. "Find someone else. Silentpaw, don't go home until you've caught seven pieces of prey. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Deadthroat."

The warrior left them with a low growl and a flicking tail, and with a final, furious glare, Silentpaw went whisking off deeper into the forest. Echopaw sat there for what felt like ages before finally picking herself up and heading her own way, knowing she should at least find something to bring back to Newthawk.

She recovered as many dock leaves as she could carry from nearby, rolled them into a tight bundle, and carried them back to camp with her tail drooping. She pushed her way past the thorn tunnel into camp and nearly slammed into someone in front of her. A familiar scent wafted into her nose, and she found Silentpaw's yellow eyes glaring at her, a squirrel swinging from his jaws.

Had he already caught enough prey . . . ? Of course, she could not expect any less from the Clan's best hunter.

"I got lucky," he answered her unspoken question, "no thanks to you."

Echopaw flinched a little, but her eyes shone when they landed on the prey he had brought to the pile. Rather than answer him, she darted to the medicine den. The inside was empty, Newthawk nowhere to be found, to her relief. She tucked the dock leaves into their place in the store, then trotted back outside toward the prey pile in the middle of camp.

She swiped the squirrel Silentpaw had caught from the top of the pile, then peered around camp to find him. She spotted him in a shadowed area between dens, washing his ears, and trotted toward him with her head and tail held high.

"What?" Silentpaw was understandably weary as she approached, white tail-tip flicking against the needle-strewn ground. Echopaw dropped the squirrel pointedly at his feet.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," she purred, batting her eyes sweetly and upping the charm. If she wanted to fix things, she may as well start now. "Eat with me."

"I'm not supposed to eat," Silentpaw replied, pushing the squirrel back toward her. Echopaw flicked an ear, a tad irate, unsure whether it was toward Silentpaw or Deadthroat, who was undoubtedly the one who gave him such a stupid order.

"Your duty is to the Clan, right?" she pressed, sliding the squirrel back toward him. "Well, _I'm_ a cat of ShadowClan and your Clanmate, and _I_ want you to eat, because I can't eat the whole thing myself. There. It's your job now."

"Echopaw - "

"I'll take the fall this time," she interrupted, puffing her chest out. "That way we're even. So eat. I'm sure you're starving after all that hunting."

It took some coaxing, but finally, after what felt like seasons of waiting, Silentpaw leaned down and took the first bite. Pleased, Echopaw allowed herself a purr, and they took turns taking mouthfuls of the squirrel until there was nothing left. Silentpaw was left licking his jowls, and Echopaw tilted her head at him, proud of herself.

"See? It was fine!"

Silentpaw cocked his head, mirroring her. "Thanks, but I still don't want anything to do with your stupid prophecy," he mewed, a shot through her ego; and then, eyes narrowing, he said, "and I prefer frog."

Echopaw watched with a sinking heart as he whisked off toward the camp entrance, no doubt to replace the prey he saw as wasted.

* * *

Silentpaw was limping into camp.

Echopaw knew. Of course Echopaw knew. She had been watching him intensely for many sunrises, trying to spark conversation whenever she could, attempting to gain his favor through friendliness, and searching for any other way she could win him over. So, naturally, she spotted the instant he was ailing, and gladly took the opportunity to help.

"Silentpaw!" she called across the clearing, barely flinching now under his glare. She now knew it was such a constant that she should not take it seriously. "See me in my den."

"It's not serious," he started to protest, but Deadthroat nearly bowled him over with a nudge, his protest dying in his throat.

"The last thing I need is for you to mess up over something stupid. Go."

Echopaw could see the reluctant tension in Silentpaw's shoulders as he approached her den, lifting one of his paws gingerly. Pelt tingling with excitement, Echopaw whisked into the den, forcing her patient to follow her into the private depths.

"If this is one of your stupid ploys - "

"Wouldn't dream of it," Echopaw purred, pleased to be the one doing the interrupting. "What happened?"

Silentpaw watched her with narrowed eyes for a moment before hesitantly admitting, "I skimmed my paws on the Thunderpath. My front left one got it the worst."

"Let me see," Echopaw coaxed, and Silentpaw turned his paw over to show her. His pad was definitely scraped, not actively bleeding, but with blood present. Gravel still clung to it. "StarClan's sake, have you even bothered to clean it?" she fussed, immediately swiping her tongue over his pad to dislodge the tiny rocks.

Silentpaw jerked his leg back for an instant with a hiss, but an unimpressed stare had him reluctantly offering his paw back to her. "I'd have survived," he muttered.

"Not with an infection!" Echopaw scolded. "Toms are so stupid, I swear."

Silentpaw winced, perhaps more than he should have at the comment. "What do you mean, not with an infection?"

"Infections can kill, frog-brain," Echopaw said, rolling her eyes. "And with all the places your paws go, it's pretty much a guarantee it'll get infected."

"It is?" Silentpaw gulped, eyes widening, and Echopaw's whiskers twitched with amusement.

"Unless you listen to your medicine cat's advice," she teased, straightening up. She turned, brushing her tail playfully against his muzzle, and earned an annoyed huff in response. She retrieved a few herbs from the store. "I'm going to chew these into a poultice, and apply it to your paw."

"What's in that?" Silentpaw asked uncertainly.

_What, is he scared of some plants?_ "Dock, to soothe the pad itself, and garlic to prevent infection. The other apprentices won't thank you for the smell, but you'll be glad for it." She licked the gooey pulp into his scraped pad, and he winced at the sting but did not pull back this time. "It won't hurt to rub a little on your other pads, too, and make sure you clean them thoroughly."

Silentpaw was about to respond when the brambles at the entrance of the den shook, and Newthawk pushed his way through. "Echopaw, are you back yet?" he called, then stopped short at the sight of the two apprentices before him. Eyes narrowing, he asked, "Are those my herbs you're wasting?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it wasteful, really - "

"First you bring back that pathetic haul of such a useless herb," Newthawk hissed, drawing to his full, bulking height in the small den, "but then you waste it all on an apprentice's stupid mistake? Have I taught you nothing?!"

"It's newleaf," Echopaw protested. "Herbs are coming back fast, I can replace what I used in no time!"

"Without my permission, too!" Newthawk spat, ignoring her. "Haven't I taught you I won't tolerate disrespect?!"

"You're not always going to be here! I have to learn to work by myself sometime - "

There was a stinging pain, and she stifled a pained mew, feeling wetness well up on her cheek. Silentpaw made a shocked noise beside her but she knew better than to glance at him.

"Don't talk back to me."

"Yes, Newthawk," she replied quietly, heart thundering in her chest.

"Go ahead and waste whatever else on that useless mouse-brain, and I expect you to replace it with triple what you used."

Biting back a retort about how wasteful that would be, Echopaw dully repeated, "Yes, Newthawk."

Thankfully, there was no more. Newthawk whisked away with a snarl in Silentpaw's direction, and they were left alone.

Trying not to let her posture droop, Echopaw fetched another dock leaf and placed it on the bottom of Silentpaw's foot, sticking it to the poultice. "Sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that."

"Why are you still tending to me?" Silentpaw mewed indignantly, trying to pull his paw back, but a stern look stopped his fidgeting. Still, he pressed, "You should do something about that scratch before it scars."

"Why?" Echopaw joked, pulling a long stem of grass out of a bundle in the store. "I think I'd look daring with a scar, don't you?"

"Echopaw," her fellow apprentice warned, and she sighed.

"I will. But my duty is to the Clan first, remember?"

Silentpaw looked markedly uncomfortable at that, and his tail thumped rhythmically against the ground as Echopaw secured the leaf to his foot. Finally, he muttered, "Maybe things should change."

Echopaw glanced up at him, surprise threatening to make her jaw drop. She searched his eyes, but he could not meet her gaze, ears drawn back. Was he embarrassed? Amused, Echopaw straightened, trying to keep the purr of laughter out of her mew.

"No more going out today," she ordered firmly. Silentpaw finally met her stare, listening well for once. "Sleep on it, and come see me in the morning. If there's no swelling, then you can go on with your duties."

"Yes, O wise medicine cat," Silentpaw snarked, and Echopaw offered a playful headbutt to his shoulder in response. He padded toward the den exit, then glanced back toward her, tail swishing in a reluctant farewell. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Echopaw promised, heart fluttering with excitement. _Tomorrow._


	5. Chapter 5

_"You are here. You are chosen. We know you must be confused, but your world is in shambles. It is your duty to reforge what was lost. You must, if the Clans are to survive."_

* * *

"That's incredible!" Ripplepaw bounced excitedly before his sister, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. "You're so lucky!"

Moonpaw humored him with a mrrow of amusement, ducking her head. She had not intended for his reaction to be so intense after telling him of her dream. "I guess it is pretty cool," she admitted. "But I'm just another apprentice."

_You know that's not true._

"Apparently not," Ripplepaw snorted, unknowingly agreeing with her internal dialogue. "If that's the case, why didn't I get a cool dream prophecy? Face it, Moonpaw, you're special!"

_You have no idea._

"It wasn't just me," Moonpaw reminded him gently, butting their shoulders together. "There were other apprentices there. And keep your voice down."

"Got it, mom," Ripplepaw grumbled, but perked up only a second later, not known for his grudges. "So what if there were other cats? You're here, and they're, well, wherever they are. You probably have separate stuff you have to do." His eyes sparkled. "Imagine, little old Moonpaw, becoming leader and fixing SkyClan! Wouldn't that be amazing?"

_If only it were that simple._

Moonpaw glanced up past the tall trees around her to the bright moon hanging overhead. Her namesake peered down at her, and she could see all the stunning imperfections on its surface, still gorgeous to her. It was low tonight. A clear show of symbolism, but one she was not certain she understood.

She knew what their collective dream meant. She knew in her heart that nothing she - or any other cat, for that matter - could do would save the Clans in any capacity. No amount of kindness could change the bitterness in the hearts of every Clan cat, no amount of power gained could force them to create bonds. The lake territories were a lost cause.

Moonpaw also knew that the other cats in her dream would not understand that concept. Not until they had tried.

"Earth to Moonpaw," Ripplepaw snorted, pawing at her whiskers.

Moonpaw sneezed, then turned an indignant stare on her brother. Her gaze softened at the youth in his eyes, the curiosity in them as he peered into hers. Perhaps some could be spared.

"It would be amazing," she mewed softly.

"What?"

"Becoming leader. It would be pretty cool."

"If anyone could do it, it's you!" Ripplepaw encouraged her with another little bounce. "And you'll make me deputy, right?"

"Right," Moonpaw promised. _This can't last._ "But until then, we should get to our nests. Unlike leaders, apprentices aren't supposed to wander about at night."

"Fine, bossypaws," Ripplepaw replied, rolling his eyes. "Race you back to camp!"

Moonpaw indulged him, a purr rising in her throat. It wouldn't last, but for now, she could wait for the others to come to the right conclusion. Until then, she would enjoy her last moons in this home.


	6. Chapter 6

"What did you say we needed?" Quickbreeze asked, padding circles around his daughter. Sometimes he reminded her of a kit. Lightpaw rolled her eyes and snapped her paw down on his tail, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"Keep doing that and you'll trample my herbs," she scolded. Obediently, Quickbreeze halted, seating himself and wrapping his tail over his practically vibrating paws. "Catmint. Some grows near the ThunderClan border. You're here to make sure any patrols that come past leave me alone."

"Roger that, Lightstar," Quickbreeze teased, chipper as ever, and Lightpaw rolled her eyes.

"I'm a medicine cat, I can't become leader." _Nor do I want to,_ Lightpaw thought with a shudder. That was a little too much responsibility.

"You'll always be leader in my heart," Quickbreeze told her, sickeningly earnest, and Lightpaw rolled her eyes again and padded onward.

The patch they were heading for was almost exactly on the border, so close that nearly every leafbare brought war to take the precious herb; greencough was an evil that plagued every Clan at any given time, and to kill another in the name of curing it was a small price for most to pay.

Lightpaw shuddered. She wished they would just ask, so she could gift them with the catmint they needed. Perhaps that could foster a bond, a shaky alliance. Perhaps it could clear some of the animosity. But it was a distant dream, one she knew would never be fulfilled, as the Clan cats thirsted for blood regardless and she knew that nothing would stop them from finding another excuse to spill it.

The mouth-watering scent reached her nose and she stopped at the large patch of catmint. She could hear the rustle of her father's paws inching closer, and she swung her tail out in front of him like a barrier.

"You run off with any of this stuff, and I'll hunt you down myself."

"When did you get so scary?" Quickbreeze purred. He settled down on his haunches and peered into the forest, ears pricked for any sign of an intruder. "Roger that. I'm on alert. No ThunderClan cat will get past me!"

"They'd have to get past the border first," Lightpaw snorted.

"That too."

Lightpaw set to nosing around in the patch of catmint, mouth automatically watering at the delicious scent, and bit off a tall stem.

* * *

"I smell WindClan."

"Obviously," Bumblespeck snorted, and Acornpaw ducked her head. "We're at the border." But Rowantail stepped up in defense of her apprentice.

"No, birdbrain, there's WindClan cats there," she snapped, tail lashing in irritation. "Or is your nose really that dull?"

It was rare Rowantail was mean, but Acornpaw was incredibly thankful for her in that moment. Perking up and hoping to get into her Clanmates' good graces, she suggested, "I'll go check it out. I'm small, so I can sneak up on them easy."

"Screw up, and Furstar will hear about it," Bramblesong threatened.

Acornpaw fought hard not to roll her eyes. _That's excessive._ One of Rowantail's teachings came back to her, and her ego rose substantially._ I guess they just can't handle being shown up by an apprentice._ She dropped into a hunting crouch and slithered through the bushes between the patrol and the WindClan border.

Her ears pricked for any noise, she quickly picked up light conversation - only two cats, one much younger than the other. She pushed past the leaves until she could see the culprits. It seemed there were only the two of them, sitting near the catmint patch, their pelts almost the exact same pale blonde under the light. Were they related?

The larger of the two suddenly snapped his head toward the forest, gaze wandering for a moment before landing directly on Acornpaw. "Who's there?" he demanded, all trace of friendliness gone, and the fur of the small she-cat next to him stood on end.

Knowing better than to try to hide herself, she padded out from the brush. "I'm on my own territory," she challenged, letting her hackles rise to make her seem bigger. "What are you . . . "

She faltered, eyes lingering on the she-cat. The WindClan cat seemed to realize the same thing at the same time. "It's you," they said in unison, one in wonder, the other notably more agitated.

"Acornpaw?"

Rowantail's voice made her wince, and the tom across from her let out a protective growl. Unsure if the rest of her Clanmates would follow, Acornpaw kept her hackles up, but only her mentor came pushing through the undergrowth.

"You were right," she mewed, glancing between her apprentice and the strangers. "What are a couple of WindClan cats doing so close to the border?"

"What are _you_ doing so close to the border?" the tom grumbled, indignant, but his Clanmate answered, "Collecting herbs."

"What is taking you two so long?" came Bumblespeck's annoyed mew, and he came bursting onto the boundary, glaring hard at the strangers. "Trouble?"

Acornpaw let her tail rest on her mentor's haunch and held eye contact earnestly, hoping Rowantail would get the message. After a second her mentor sat down, tail curling at her side, and glanced toward their Clanmate.

"They say they're collecting herbs," Rowantail told him with a derisive snort, and Acornpaw was a little frightened to realize she could not tell whether it was a ploy. "We're going to stay here and make sure they don't cross. Go on without us."

Bumblespeck looked ready to protest, but Bramblesong's annoyed mew reached their ears, and with an irate huff he disappeared into the forest depths. Acornpaw waited until she could no longer hear their pawsteps before she finally relaxed, copying her mentor in sitting down. The strangers glanced between them, uncertain, until Acornpaw gestured them forward with a hurried paw.

"It's you," she repeated to the she-cat. "I'm Acornpaw. From the dream."

"Lightpaw," the other apprentice replied, though she sounded notably less excited.

"This is my mentor, Rowantail. She's safe."

"I can speak for myself," Rowantail muttered.

"And I'm Quickbreeze," the tom butted in, eyes narrowed. "Lightpaw's father. What do you want?"

"I know Lightpaw," Acornpaw said before Rowantail could speak on the agitation Quickbreeze's attitude brought. "Well, not _know,_ per say, but we had the same dream. I mean, unless she didn't tell you anything, that is, it's really . . . nothing?"

Lightpaw looked utterly defeated, Rowantail embarrassed, and Quickbreeze surprisingly amused. Excited, even?

"She did! Does that mean you believe in it, too? What do you think it means?"

Relief washed over Acornpaw. She was not alone, then. Here was evidence, right before her very eyes, that her dream was more than just a dream. A message, then. A prophecy from StarClan themselves! She bounced upright onto her paws, elation making her practically vibrate.

"Do you think this means there's a cat from every Clan in the dream?" she asked, heart thrumming with excitement.

"Most likely," Rowantail put in, "but I don't think we really have time to discuss this. Rockgorse will have a fit if we're back too late for another patrol."

They each glanced around at one another, and Acornpaw saw her own helplessness reflected in the eyes of the rest of them. "We could meet up again later . . . "

Quickbreeze's eyes shot wide open, as if her words brought an epiphany. "Rowantail," he said, "did you ever hear about a Gathering?"

Rowantail cocked her head. "If what the elders say is true, even if they were real, there hasn't been one for seasons and seasons. How could we even hold one?"

"Not all the cats, StarClan, no!" Quickbreeze looked offended just at the thought. "But if there's really cats from the dream in every Clan, maybe you can find more, and we can hold a Gathering on the island!"

"Just like the old cats," Rowantail murmured. Excitement was unfamiliar on her face, and it genuinely made Acornpaw a little frightened. "Not this full moon, but the next. We need time to find them."

"I could try the Moonpool," Lightpaw finally spoke up, sounding as though she was forcing the words out. She was definitely not as excited as the rest of them. "I don't know if Meadowbranch would be up for going, though."

"Don't worry about it," Acornpaw found herself soothing the WindClan apprentice. "I'll check the SkyClan border, and if I find one of the cats there, I can tell them to pass the message on to ShadowClan, and so on."

"We'll figure it out," Rowantail agreed. "You just worry about showing up at moonhigh."

"She wouldn't miss it," Quickbreeze promised.

Acornpaw and Rowantail said their farewells, the clock ticking down, and raced back through the forest to camp. _I can't believe we found them!_ Her paws skimmed over the grass in her haste, barely touching the ground. _Next: SkyClan! I won't let them down!_


	7. Chapter 7

A soft breeze rustled the leaves in the trees overhead. A lone cricket chirped outside the apprentice's den. Acornpaw's gaze was fixed on an apprentice at the far side of the den that had fallen asleep only a short while before, carefully monitoring his breathing. She would not move until she was positive he would not wake, even if it took hours until then.

Thankfully, it did not seem she would have to wait much longer. His breath had been coming in steady, even breaths since he closed his eyes, and Acornpaw only waited a little while longer before she slowly stood and tiptoed to the entrance. One apprentice stirred in their nest, and Acornpaw held her breath, heart thundering in her chest, but her Clanmate fell still once more, and she slunk out of the den and into the moonlit clearing.

ThunderClan was silent and still around her, all except Rowantail, who had managed to snatch night watch. As Acornpaw slid through the bushes out of camp, she waved her tail in greeting to her mentor, who nodded and flicked her ears as though to say, _be quick._

Many sunrises had passed since their meeting with Lightpaw and Quickbreeze, and Acornpaw was anxious to finally get out of camp and try to deliver the message. Her paws tingled as she trotted through the forest and toward the border. If it had taken this long for an opportunity to arise, would the others have time to transfer the message? That was not even considering the possibility that Acornpaw would have to make multiple attempts to make contact, and the thought made Acornpaw work her legs faster.

After some consideration, she veered off in the direction of the lake, running a few fox-lengths parallel to the SkyClan border. She could hear the gurgle of its river and shuddered at the thought that she would have to cross it, though the current lessened where it fed into the lake, so there was little danger. Still, the idea of getting soaked was unappealing.

_At least it'll mask my scent,_ she tried to encourage herself as she halted before the lake's shore, peering at the water's calm surface. Small waves marked the crossroads where the river dumped into the lake, and despite the shallow depths she feared they would sweep her into the abyss in an instant. How did RiverClan do it all the time?

Acornpaw swallowed a few deep breaths, held them, and forced herself to trot a tail-length into the lake. Immediately she bit back a shocked yowl as the icy water seeped into her belly fur, and her teeth started to chatter almost the instant the chill touched her. Still, she forced herself to crouch, and clenched her jaw as the water tugged at her fur and soaked her to the bone, hopefully washing away most of the scent of ThunderClan.

She could not bear the cold a second longer, but she knew she still had to cross the border, and stepping out of the water to do it would only freeze her further. Reluctantly, she waded through the icy depths along the shore, past the border, and halted right on top of the border. She could smell the SkyClan scent markers, hostile and unfamiliar as always, and shuddered from more than the cold.

_I have to do this._ She held her breath as though the warriors would hear it all the way from their camp as she passed the markers, and emerged as quietly as she could from the water. The ripples behind her sounded like a storm in the silent night, making her cringe, but after a moment of silence it was clear no one was around to attack, so she straightened and breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that she was in their territory, she was at a loss.

Acornpaw peered into the forest, so similar to her own home. How close was the camp? Should she go there? She would surely be torn to shreds without question if found. This was such a bird-brained idea, or lack thereof. There was no plan. What did she think she was going to accomplish like this?

Acorn turned toward the brush that she knew hid the river beyond, embarrassment pooling in her stomach. She was such a flea-brain! This whole thing was flea-brained. She was lucky to encounter Lightpaw before, and she had no idea who she was searching for now. She had not even known then! Now she was wet and freezing and someone would complain about her getting all the moss of their nests soak, and someone would undoubtedly question where she was. She would be picking ticks off the elders for moons after her warrior ceremony, at this rate.

There was a rustling noise suddenly, and the apprentice peered into the forest, heart rate spiking. Leaves were falling from the trees and she could see branches swaying as something moved among them. Panicked, Acornpaw dove into a holly bush. It was far from agile and certainly not quiet, and she frantically scanned the trees, praying desperately to whatever entity would listen that whatever was there had not noticed their intruder.

A fluffy gray cat emerged from the leaves at the end of a branch, and she leapt to the ground, landing nearly silently. Acornpaw doubted she would have even heard it were it not for the anxiety heightening her senses. The SkyClan cat did not seem to be on alert, however, stretching her forelegs out in front of her with a yawn and padding closer to the shore. She peered out at the placid water for a few minutes, and Acornpaw started to relax, flattening hackles she did not remember raising.

Then the stranger turned her head, brilliant blue eyes fixing on the holly bush, and she mewed, "You can come out. I won't hurt you."

Acornpaw froze. Even her shivering halted, and she stopped breathing altogether, as though minimizing her presence would fool the cat that had clearly already noticed her. The SkyClan cat blinked at her expectantly. Caught between a rock and a hard place, reluctantly, Acornpaw untangled herself from the branches and slunk out into the open like a kit caught in the warrior's den.

The other cat gave an amused purr. "Come closer, Acornpaw. You must be freezing from that plunge."

She certainly was, and Acornpaw padded a little closer, then halted. Her eyes fixed suspiciously on the cat before her. "How do you know my name?" she demanded, fur lifting in suspicion, then added, "And how did you know I jumped in the lake?"

"You're soaked to the bone," the other pointed out. She sat back on her haunches, nowhere near as agitated as Acornpaw, and said, "We've had something of a shared experience, yes?"

Acornpaw peered at her, still suspicious, but the vivid blue of her eyes and softness of her features was familiar. "The dream," she breathed. "But that doesn't tell me why you know my name. Who are you?"

Perhaps a tad impatiently, the other cat thumped her tail against the ground, and Acornpaw accepted the invitation this time, feeling a bit more trusting despite her mysterious nature. "I know a lot of things," the SkyClan apprentice said as Acornpaw sat beside her, as if it was that simple. "I'm Moonpaw."

"Hi, Moonpaw," Acornpaw greeted. Moonpaw shifted closer to her, a surprisingly friendly gesture, sharing warmth as Acornpaw started to lick the wetness from her fur. Teasingly, she asked, "Let me guess, you just magically knew I was going to be here, too?"

"Yes," Moonpaw answered seriously, and Acornpaw blinked at her. "I had a feeling."

"A feeling?"

"You're here for a purpose, yes?" Moonpaw diverted the conversation and, knowing when to pick her battles, Acornpaw allowed her to. "You have a message."

"I do," Acornpaw said between licks of her chest fur. Lakewater tasted awful. "Lightpaw and I want to hold a Gathering at the full moon. Not this one, but the next."

"I should hope not this one," Moonpaw mewed, amused. "Two sunrises to pass on the message is just a _bit_ of a crunch."

"Only a little bit," Acornpaw agreed jokingly. She was not entirely dry, but peering up at the moon showed it heading ever closer to the horizon, and reluctantly she stood. "I should get going. Rowantail won't be able to cover for me if I get back too late."

"Same here," Moonpaw replied, standing as well. She gave another leisurely stretch. "The river is narrow a few tail-lengths upstream. You'll be clear jumping across this time."

Alarm bells should have been ringing, paranoia insisting that Acornpaw would be stumbled upon by a patrol, but Moonpaw's words brought uncharacteristic calm. "You're sure?"

"Positive," Moonpaw said confidently. Her fluffy cloud of a tail swished in the air behind her as she padded toward the trees. "I'll see you next full moon."

Reassured, Acornpaw replied warmly, "You too!"

They went their separate ways, Moonpaw's fluffy tail disappearing past the tree leaves, and Acornpaw watched her go before heading upstream toward home.

* * *

"Moonpaw?"

A small white head raised from the nest beside her, and yellow eyes blinked sleepily at her. Tinypaw always slept next to her, even closer than her own brother. Moonpaw only wished she could do more for her; loathed and bullied by most of the Clan, Tinypaw truly got the short end of the stick, and all Moonpaw could truly offer was a motherly role to the new apprentice.

Moonpaw leaned down to offer Tinypaw a small lick on the head, purring low in her throat. "I'll be back soon. You won't tell anyone I've gone, will you?"

"Never," Tinypaw swore, yawning, endlessly loyal to her. She curled up once more. "Hurry up."

Tinypaw had short fur, thinned by stress and eating less than she should, so Moonpaw's thick coat was a heavenly haven of warmth on cool nights. "I will," Moonpaw promised, then brushed quietly past the juniper branches of the apprentice's den to the camp outside.

The stream in camp gurgled quietly in the silent night. The moon was full, two sunrises having passed since her meeting with Acornpaw, and tonight was the night she would meet another. Two others, in fact. The pull had woken her from her turbulent dreams, telling her it was time, and she snuck quietly out of camp past the two dozing sentries.

She supposed she should thank StarClan that her Clan was so lazy.

Moonpaw took the time to scale the nearest tree, preferring to travel aboveground. Soon, she knew, she would not have that luxury often, so she took it where she could for now. Toward the ShadowClan border she went, leaping lightly over familiar branches, almost silent enough that even a squirrel might be caught by surprise. She would not be heard if she did not wish to be.

She slowed when she started to scent ShadowClan, and stopped at a tree just before the border, hopping down a few branches to one that was more clearly visible and would support her weight for a much longer time. Curling her tail over her paws, she settled down to wait.

She did not have to wait long. Before the moon had even risen much higher above her head, the sound of hissed bickering reached her, and she straightened up, listening closely as the voices came closer.

"This is stupid. Medicine cats don't hunt."

"Well, _I_ want to!"

"Stick to herbs, Clumsypaw."

Two apprentices emerged from the inky black depths of the ShadowClan pines, a lanky tuxedo and a pretty silver tabby, and their names were in her mind before she even searched for them - Silentpaw and Echopaw. She waited a moment more, enjoying the display of lighthearted quarreling, before raising her forepaws and slamming them down on the branch, making it shake noisily.

The ShadowClan apprentices nearly jumped out of their fur, and Echopaw scrambled behind Silentpaw as his fur puffed up. The latter glared up at Moonpaw and hissed, looking prepared to leap at any second. Moonpaw could scent his wariness.

"What do you want, SkyClan cat?" he spat.

Vaguely distressed at the extreme display of hostility, Moonpaw ducked her head and closed her eyes, making herself seem as nonthreatening as she could. "I'm not here to cause trouble," she told them, and cracked one eye open to see Echopaw relaxing minutely. "I'm Moonpaw. You've seen me before."

"I think I'd remember you," Silentpaw growled, but Echopaw raised a paw and bopped him on the ear.

"The dream, frogbrain!"

Silentpaw shook his head, ear twitching. "Did you have to do that in front of an intruder?!"

"She's on her own territory!" Echopaw rolled her eyes. "Do toms think of anything besides fighting?"

Silentpaw winced. "Don't - " he started, then simply ended with, "Ugh."

Moonpaw ran Echopaw's statement through her mind a few times, trying to figure out where the hurt in Silentpaw's eyes stemmed from, but only found lighthearted teasing. Echopaw seemed baffled as well, searching his eyes earnestly, but Silentpaw shrugged her off, turning his gaze on Moonpaw.

"What do you want?"

"I bring a message from Acornpaw of ThunderClan," Moonpaw said patiently, glad to see at least the animosity was gone from his eyes. "We want to hold a Gathering at the next full moon. Lightpaw from WindClan knows, too. We need you two to spread the message to RiverClan."

"A Gathering?" Echopaw asked. "Just the dreamers, right?"

"Just the dreamers," Moonpaw confirmed. "Two of them."

"How do you know?" Silentpaw questioned, the same suspicion Acornpaw had shown in his voice, and Moonpaw internally sighed. Would she ever have an explanation for them?

"I know things," was her response, tired and repetitive already. "Do you remember what they look like?"

"Vaguely," Silentpaw muttered, at the same time as Echopaw eagerly nodded, "I do!"

"Then I'll see you both at the Gathering," Moonpaw mewed farewell. "I need to get back to camp before the sentries decide to do their jobs."

The goodbye was too sudden for the other apprentices to figure a response, and Moonpaw leapt into the maze of trees, purring in amusement at the idea that they would be mystified by her disappearance. She knew she was different, but that did not mean she could not be entertained by it like a normal apprentice would be.

She slid quietly down a tree just near the juniper den and slipped inside without so much as rattling a single twig. She curled around Tinypaw in her nest, and the small apprentice stirred slightly.

"Welcome back," she slurred tiredly.

"Go to sleep," Moonpaw shushed her. "I'm here."

Someday, she would not be. She tried not to think about that.


	8. Chapter 8

"Do you ever want kits?"

Silentpaw watched the two bundles of fur trip over each other in front of the nursery, squealing in delight. Warmth spread in his chest even as their mother snapped at them. _If I were her, I'd cherish them,_ he thought bitterly. Echopaw peered curiously up at him from her mouse.

"Is that a proposition?" she teased.

"What?" Silentpaw's heart leapt into his throat, and his pelt grew hot as he spluttered, "No, I mean, it's not that - that is, you and I, uh - "

"I'm flattered," Echopaw purred, "but I think we're a little young for that."

Grateful for the escape, Silentpaw unhelpfully pointed out, "And you're a medicine cat."

"Really?" Echopaw mewed, cocking her head. "I had no idea!" Silentpaw glared weakly at her, and she gulped down the last mouthful with a _mrrow_ of laughter. "Still, what brings it up?"

"I don't know," Silentpaw replied, his eyes drifting back to the kits. They had resumed playing despite their mother's annoyance, and his heart swelled. "I just . . . I don't like how the queens treat them."

Echopaw followed his gaze, brushing her fur against his. "Me either."

"They take motherhood for granted," Silentpaw continued in a low murmur. "Kits are precious. They deserve better."

"They do," Echopaw agreed softly.

He did not tell her how he envied mothers. How he wished he could be a queen, caring for his own kits and cherishing them. How he wished he could be a queen at all, with or without kits, but he knew only kit envy was safe to express. He had learned that the hard way. At least Echopaw had validated him this much. But of course, she was a medicine cat, so she likely felt the same envy. It was nothing special.

Silentpaw pushed himself onto all fours, suddenly feeling sick. "I'm gonna go hunt some more."

"Your frog," Echopaw protested at the sudden motion, gesturing to the remnants of his fresh-kill, but Silentpaw could hardly bear to look at it. Before he could reply, anyway, Deadthroat was calling for him from the entrance to camp.

"Silentpaw! Hunting patrol!"

Rarely was Silentpaw happy to hear his mentor ordering him around, but the cemented excuse brought immense relief. "You can finish it," he muttered, turning away and padding toward the thorn tunnel, leaving behind a very concerned Echopaw.

He pushed past his mentor and out of camp, only listening long enough to hear his assignment at the small Thunderpath before bounding off on his own. It was better that way; Deadthroat preferred giving as little instruction as possible to get the most favorable results. Silentpaw would not let him down. He never did.

He never let anyone down but himself.

It was not until he reached the faded, acrid stench of the Thunderpath that he remembered the border, and he skidded to a halt before it, ears pricked. It was about the time that RiverClan did their second patrols. He supposed it would be too hopeful to expect to find a fellow dreamer, but he would try, anyway. He had promised Echopaw that he would keep an eye out.

_A spotted golden she-cat,_ Echopaw had relayed to him, _and a big gray tom, one that looks more like a warrior than an apprentice. His eyes are yellow, like yours._

_Like mine, huh?_ Silentpaw mused.

Like the ones peering at him from across the Thunderpath?

Silentpaw straightened, locking eyes challengingly with the big tom across from him. He was large, for sure, but his face was still soft with kithood, and his eyes widened with excitement at the sight of Silentpaw. There was little doubt in Silentpaw's mind now - this was likely one of the cats they were looking for.

He peered up and down the Thunderpath, unsure of his next course of action, but in a heartbeat the RiverClan apprentice was bounding fearlessly over the hard stone and joining Silentpaw in his own territory. Silentpaw leapt back instinctively, but the tom immediately set up in excited blabbering, far too loud for Silentpaw's tastes.

"You remember me, right?" the RiverClan cat asked, eyes shining with excitement. "From the dream! I'm Stonepaw! My sister Mintpaw is back at camp, but she was there, too! Are any of the others in your Clan? What's your name?"

"Silentpaw," he hissed before Stonepaw could continue, slapping his tail over the other cat's mouth to shut him up. "We're holding a Gathering on the island at the full moon. We can talk there. Now shut up and get out of here before my whole Clan comes to investigate, you noisy furball!"

It was harsh, but it seemed Stonepaw was unaffected by mean words, or perhaps just used to them, for he only nodded rapidly and bounded back across the Thunderpath toward home. Grateful for his absence, Silentpaw took his own leave, disappearing further into the pine forest and hoping no cat had heard their exchange, or worse yet, seen them together. There would be severe punishment if they had.

Alas, no cats appeared, so Silentpaw, relieved, returned to the task of hunting. _Assuming that frogbrain didn't chase all the prey off!_

* * *

The moon hung high overhead, and crickets chirped loudly near the water as Mintpaw and Stonepaw swam downriver. The current did most of the work for them, allowing them to drift lazily toward the lake, a much quieter alternative to crashing through the undergrowth and risking alerting any Clanmates.

"I hope none of the other apprentices wasted their time trying to find me at the Moonpool," Mintpaw lamented. She frequently failed to get Lichenpuddle out of camp at all, let alone on a journey all the way to the Moonpool.

"We're all meeting now," Stonepaw soothed, paws churning strongly in the water as the current dropped off, and he turned course to the island with his sister in tow. "You can meet them now."

"Yeah, but I wanted to meet them before you," Mintpaw grumbled.

They made short work of the swim there and reached the island's shore in no time, shaking the water from their fur. Stonepaw spluttered as Mintpaw soaked him. Ruffled by her laughter, he dipped a paw into the lake and splashed her with more of the icy water, but only elicited more giggles. Mintpaw sprinted through the bushes and into the island's clearing.

"Looks like we're the first two here," she called.

"Not by much," came an unfamiliar, meek voice as Stonepaw pushed past the bushes after her. He was just in time to see a pale golden tabby she-cat leap down from the tree trunk bridge. She was small and skinny, so probably WindClan, Stonepaw thought. "I'm Lightpaw."

"Mintpaw!" his sister chirped, and before he could speak, "That's my brother, Stonepaw!"

"I can introduce myself, you know!"

"Oh, whatever. You get speechless around pretty girls!"

"Do not!"

"Pretty?" Lightpaw mused, cocking her head, and Stonepaw spluttered nervously as Mintpaw cackled. "Can't say I've heard that one before."

Before Stonepaw could indignantly insist both _you're absolutely pretty!_ and simultaneously _I do not get speechless around girls!_, they were interrupted by another new arrival on the island. A tortoiseshell smelling of ThunderClan hopped neatly down from the tree trunk and made a beeline for Lightpaw, touching her nose to her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"You made it!" she greeted brightly. "Your father didn't come?"

"He's covering for me," Lightpaw muttered, shifting under all the attention. "Rowantail?"

"Her too," the ThunderClan apprentice replied. She turned her attention to the siblings. "Hi! I'm Acornpaw!"

Stonepaw and Mintpaw introduced themselves just in time for two more new arrivals. A gorgeous silver tabby joined them, followed by the tuxedo from before - Silentpaw. He stuck to her like a shadow even as she warmly introduced herself as Echopaw. Mintpaw sidled up to Stonepaw as more introductions went around, nudging him playfully.

"You're gawking."

"I'm not." He was. Echopaw caught sight of him staring and flicked her tail in greeting, and Stonepaw looked away, at his sister. "I just think she's nice, is all." _Gorgeous, actually._

Mintpaw gave a _mrrow_ of laughter, undoubtedly knowing exactly what he was thinking, and tilted her head back toward Echopaw. Stonepaw glanced back in time to see Silentpaw pointedly pressing close to his Clanmate, his tail curling protectively over her back as he fixed a warning gaze on Stonepaw.

"I think she's taken," Mintpaw teased.

Stonepaw sighed wistfully. "A tom can dream, right?" _They look sweet together._

"You're all here," came a new voice, and the seventh apprentice joined them, a fluffy gray SkyClan cat. Her blue eyes shone in the moonlight, and she took her place in the subconscious circle they had been forming. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Moonpaw. Sorry I'm late."

There was a chorus of reassurances that it was alright, and they all settled down for the meeting . . . that apparently nobody knew how to start. They all stared around at one another, varying degrees of uncertain and confused, until eventually Moonpaw stood, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"I'll start, then," she purred. "We all know why we're here, yes?"

Nods all around, growing interest and determination a tangible force among them. Moonpaw raised her head, peering up at the stars, and the other apprentices followed the motion with curiosity, trying to see whatever it was she was searching for.

"We are chosen," she said, and the words sent chills down the spine of every cat present. They each recognized the quote. "Our world is in shambles. We must reforge what was lost in order for the Clans to survive."

"A tall order for a bunch of apprentices," Lightpaw muttered. Stonepaw glanced at her in surprise, and he saw Silentpaw blink in what was likely agreement. Moonpaw flicked her tail delicately against the ground.

"It is," she agreed, dipping her head. "But we were chosen nonetheless. I think we can all agree evading fate is out of the question. So I ask each of you - what does the dream mean to you?"

"Fix the Clans," many of them spoke in unison. Stonepaw did not see who else shared his sentiment, but he had at least caught Acornpaw and Echopaw speaking. Moonpaw's face was impassive when she spoke again, different from the calm shown before.

"What do you believe that consists of?"

"Well, my mentor could certainly be nicer," Mintpaw grumbled, and a few purrs of amusement and agreement met that sentiment.

"There's hostility everywhere," Acornpaw agreed. "Everyone is so mean to each other."

Echopaw nodded agreement, and Silentpaw's tail lashed. "Our Clan is cold and selfish," he spat. "They see kindness as a weakness." It was then Stonepaw noticed a healing scratch on Echopaw's cheek. Who had given that to her? Who would hurt such a sweet she-cat?

"Traditions like this have vanished," Lightpaw spoke up unexpectedly. She seemed to Stonepaw like she was not enthusiastic about any of this, but she was still true in her words. "WindClan doesn't even value its medicine cat."

"I, too, find my Clan lacking," Moonpaw mewed, though that indifferent detachedness remained. It was almost unsettling, but Stonepaw was too excited by the Gathering to notice. "They reject those they perceive as weak. I can't speak for the rest of you, but I cannot allow this to go on."

"Me either," Stonepaw agreed passionately, and found himself nearly drowned out by his sister's yowl and Acornpaw's cheer.

Moonpaw nodded with the noise, eyes closed. She did not look as excited as her fellow apprentices. "Then we go home tonight, and we do our best to spread kindness," she said, opening her eyes slowly and staring at each of them in turn. "We'll do our best to sow the seeds of change, and come back here at the next full moon to discuss results. Is everyone alright with that?"

Nodding met her words, along with some murmurs of assent. Stonepaw found his jaw splitting open in a yawn, and like a chain, Silentpaw followed, looking rather disgruntled at himself for it.

"I believe it is time we split ways," Moonpaw meowed, and they all did so without complaint.

Mintpaw and Stonepaw lagged behind, keeping an eye out as the others crossed the tree trunk across the river, prepared in case any of them fell, but they crossed without incident, farewells on their tongues as they disappeared into the night. Stonepaw glanced back to the clearing where Moonpaw still sat, eyes closed and face turned toward the sky. Mintpaw shrugged when he looked at her for answers.

"Are you coming?" Mintpaw asked. Moonpaw shook her head.

"I'm going to stay a while longer," she answered, eyes still closed. "I'll be alright alone."

"Okay," Mintpaw replied, unconvinced.

The littermates slid into the lake together, the water a welcoming comfort after the excitement of the night. They had to work harder to swim upstream, and it was more than enough to wear them out for bed by the time they were back on the outskirts of camp. They wished one another goodnight and went their separate ways to their dens.

All the way to his nest, Stonepaw thought of the mysterious Moonpaw, the dream, and camp, and fell asleep with a mind full of ideas on how to change things, like Moonpaw had suggested.


	9. Chapter 9

"Lightpaw?"

The apprentice glanced up from her herb store to see Quickbreeze's head poking through the entrance of the den, blocking the light filtering in. Meadowbranch barely shifted in her nest nearby, but Quickbreeze still twisted his ears back with uncertainty, glancing between his daughter and her mentor.

"Is he - ?"

"Hardly here," Lightpaw confirmed with a tiny nod, the quiet grief toward her mentor that was perpetually settled in her chest stirring at the acknowledgment. "It's a bad day." She shook her head hard, dislodging the sadness the best she could, and returned to sorting herbs. "Was there something you needed?"

Quickbreeze took a few steps inside and lowered his voice nonetheless, never trusting that Meadowbranch was not listening. Lightpaw wished she still had that much faith in his mental health. "Those cats I mentioned, the ones that want change? I convinced them to meet with you. They want to hear about the dream and Gathering."

His words weighed in her mind like dread. Was she really going to speak in front of a bunch of grown cats like an expert on this matter? She was no expert. She could not be expected to inform or lead in any capacity!

"Where?" she managed to ask, and Quickbreeze's eyes sparkled with delight at the lack of an immediate _no._

"The bushes where you grow the thyme," he relayed quickly, and Lightpaw swore he was a kit, what with the way he vibrated with excitement. "No cat ever ventures there. It's so far away!"

_Intentionally, _Lightpaw internally grumbled, disgruntled that her secluded garden was no longer hers alone. "Gather them, then," she sighed, heaving herself up on tired paws. "I'll be there."

"Now?"

"Might as well."

Quickbreeze bounced once, then quickly sped out of the den. Lightpaw let out another deep, weary sigh, and padded over to her mentor. His brown fur stuck up in all different directions, his grooming practices absolutely pathetic at this point, and she swiped her tongue over a tangle a few times in an effort to tame it somewhat. She pressed her muzzle to his head and mumbled into his fur, hoping he was listening, the opposite of her father's wariness of eavesdroppers.

"I'll be back soon," she reassured quietly, fondness and loneliness battling fiercely in her heart as she prayed he would hear her. "Stay put, alright?"

On days like this, it was hard to leave him in the den alone. More than once he had come to in a state of panic, and every time she was battered with the fear of what would happen if she was not the first responder to his episodes. What would the warriors do to him, especially when they had a fully trained apprentice ready to replace him? She could not admit it to herself, not in words, but in her heart she knew the worst possible scenario was the most likely. WindClan did not care for the useless.

With great effort, she forced herself to pad out of the den. Her father was nowhere to be seen, likely either speaking to warriors in their den or already gone. Unwilling to waste time, she hurried out of camp, not acknowledging any of the warriors that sneered at her as she passed.

Up and down the hills she went, picking up the pace with every spike of concern for her mentor, until she was out of breath. When her thyme patch was in sight, she found it was empty, but pawsteps sounded somewhere behind her. Looking back found her father accompanied by Shiningtalon and two other warriors. They sprinted down the hill toward her, and arrived at the small garden at the same time.

"Hi," Lightpaw greeted lamely. The warriors all exchanged uncertain glances, but Quickbreeze's chest puffed out with pride as he sat down next to his daughter. They were all so large, so much bigger than her, and she fought hard not to shrink under their stares.

"Quickbreeze said you had a prophecy?" a warrior named Rainberry prompted. Skepticism dripped from her words, and Lightpaw wondered just how much her father had stretched the _convincing _part.

"StarClan sent me a message," Lightpaw confirmed, shuffling her paws uncomfortably. "And a few others." StarClan, how was she supposed to do this? So many eyes on her had her heart thundering rapidly in her chest like a rabbit's. Instead of continuing, she avoided the spotlight by asking, "Quickbreeze said you guys wanted things to be better, right?"

"Things certainly need to change," Shiningtalon grumbled, eyes dark. Lightpaw could not look into their depths. In a heartbeat she knew that none of these warriors were truly in it for good, only personal gain.

Still, for Quickbreeze's sake, his whiskers twitching with anticipation and paws constantly shifting with impatience, she would try.

"Three cats came to us in a dream," Lightpaw relented, looking away from the warriors. She had to, if she was going to speak with them at all. "They want us to fix things in the Clans. We want to try and make everyone kinder. Less spiteful and ready to fight all the time. That's . . . really it."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter with each word, until she was hardly speaking at all. She could see the amusement in their posture - not their faces, for she was far too anxious to look them in the eyes - and she hunched in even further on herself than she already had.

"Sounds like someone has a vivid imagination," Shiningtalon snorted.

"What?" Quickbreeze said for her, indignance in his tone, but it was far too late to stop them. Rainberry scoffed next.

"Sorry, kit, but you're dreaming way too big. The Clans aren't going to fix themselves overnight."

"She never said they would," Quickbreeze snapped, his hackles raising.

"It probably wasn't even StarClan! As if they'd talk to a medicine cat apprentice."

Lightpaw stood, shaking her head, and all eyes turned on her. "It's alright," she told her father. "I should get back to Meadowbranch."

"Lightpaw - "

But she was already running, wind pushing her whiskers back as she made a beeline for camp. Her eyes stung and she stubbornly chalked it up to the wind as she sprinted away, paws thumping on the ground almost as loud as her heart was pounding, and she made it back to her den in record time. Whether her father and co. followed, she did not know, nor did she care, and she pushed her way into the medicine den away from the commotion of camp before she found out.

Inside, Meadowbranch was sitting up, and Lightpaw nearly jumped out of her fur when he raised his head from grooming to greet her. "You're back."

"You're up," Lightpaw blurted, shock coursing through her. She shook her head, then shook out her fur, knocking some sense into herself before she said something insensitive. "Is there anything I can get for you? Fennel? Juniper? Poppy seeds?"

As she listed it, she finally registered the scent of daisy, and saw the poultice rubbed into her mentor's spine. Meadowbranch waited patiently as Lightpaw came down from the mild panic and surprise of his wakefulness, washing his face calmly.

"The half moon is approaching," he said when she stopped talking. Lightpaw cocked her head, curiosity pricking her pelt.

"As it does every moon," she replied. "Do we have plans?"

"It's about time you got your full name, don't you think?"

Lightpaw blinked at him. She supposed it had been about six moons since she started her apprenticeship, but she had felt she would stay an apprentice forever. She was content to stand back and let Meadowbranch keep his title as long as he wished, even as she did all the main duties. StarClan, everything was moving so fast!

"I guess it is," she managed, mustering the energy to be excited instead of intimidated. Meadowbranch deserved a good time for as long as he was present, and she would not be a miserable companion. It still felt like she had so much left to learn, though, and after today, she knew she would never be listened to, even in a position of supposed power. She was not prepared to take over his position, not in a million seasons.

She could never be in charge of anything.

* * *

"You need to stop trying with him."

Anger heated his pelt, and nothing Echopaw could say would ease it. She was sporting a fresh nick on her ear, and this time, unlike the scratch on her cheek, Silentpaw knew she could not prevent it from scarring permanently. The scene of Newthawk lashing out at her repeated in his mind, each time more agitating. The nerve the medicine cat had in harming his pretty apprentice sent Silentpaw into a fuming rage, and a growl escaped his throat, not the first since Echopaw had arrived with the injury.

"Get over it," Echopaw snapped, increasingly irritated with Silentpaw's pacing around her. "At least I'm trying at all. What have _you_ done?"

Silentpaw only faltered a little, whirling on her indignantly. "I care more about you than some stupid prophecy!" How could she go about pointing paws when he was just looking out for her? But his words only seemed to annoy her further, her tail lashing wildly behind her.

"I can take care of myself!" Echopaw retorted, anger flashing in her eyes. "Stop treating me like your kit!"

"You're my friend!"

"And you're acting like my mother," Echopaw interrupted sharply. The accusation sent an unfamiliar thrill through him, but it twisted back into distress at her next words. "I don't need you breathing down my neck, so buzz off and do your part!"

Pelt prickling with agitation, he watched as she whisked away, head held high and tail lashing about as she disappeared into the forest. Anger and upset churned in his stomach, fighting within him for dominance as he watched her go. Was she right? Was he being overbearing?

She was definitely right that he had not done his part to "fix the Clans," or whatever he was supposed to do, but how was he supposed to focus on his Clanmates when the urge was always there to protect Echopaw? It would not be such a problem were it not for the fact that she seemed to seek out the worst cats to help, and always terrified him by getting hurt by it. She was going to send him to an early grave if she did not start caring for herself.

. . . alright, perhaps he was playing the overbearing mother role a bit.

He figured the feminine title should bother him, but he was far more upset at the idea of upsetting his only friend. Was this it? How long was she going to stay angry with him? Should he apologize or give her space to cool off? Would she come back when she was ready? What if she never did? What would he do without her?

"Silentpaw, it's time for your assessment."

Reluctantly, he made his way to Deadthroat's side. Oakdrop, the deputy, was there as well, with an apprentice named Grasspaw that Silentpaw rarely spoke to. Grasspaw sneered and turned his nose up at Silentpaw, a nice reminder of why exactly they never spoke to one another. Oakdrop led them out of camp in a single file line, and Silentpaw gladly brought up the rear to avoid his fellow apprentice.

"Your assessments are over hunting," the deputy informed them, and Silentpaw rolled his eyes. Kit's play. They truly did not care to challenge their apprentices, only wishing to be rid of them. "Catch three pieces each before sundown and we'll head home."

Silentpaw pricked his ears. Three pieces of prey each? He glanced over at Grasspaw, who was eyeing his mentor apprehensively. Grasspaw was better at fighting than hunting, and Silentpaw wondered if he could complete the task in time. As ill-natured as his Clanmates were, Silentpaw would not wish a failed assignment on anyone.

He offered a genuine wish of luck to his competitor. Grasspaw only scoffed and bounded off into the trees. Silentpaw sighed and followed suit, veering slightly off course so as to not run into him.

The forest truly was starting to flourish with prey as newleaf shifted into greenleaf, and in mere moments he had killed a mouse almost by accident as it darted carelessly under his paws. A blackbird twittered somewhere nearby, and after taking only a few moments to locate it, he was pouncing and delivering a swift killing bite to that, too. Already, he was over halfway done.

He could smell squirrel, so he paused for a moment to pick up the scent trail, and set to hunt it down. Only a few tail-lengths ahead, between himself and a bramble bush, was the squirrel, fat and unassuming as it worked at the shell of a nut. Silentpaw adjusted his hunting crouch and prepared to pounce, but hesitated when he saw the glint of eyes within the bush behind the squirrel.

_Back off, _Grasspaw's eyes warned. _This one's mine._

Pity worked at Silentpaw's selfish urge to claim the kill anyway. Perhaps this was something he could do. Spread kindness, like Moonpaw said. Like Echopaw wanted him to do.

Quickly, he surveyed the area; the closest trees were further from the squirrel than the bush was. Still, he knew Grasspaw would likely fumble, and fail to chase it down before it made its escape. Instead, thinking quickly before the squirrel finished its meal, Silentpaw raised a paw and smacked it down on a stick, snapping it loudly in two.

The squirrel bolted, as anticipated, right into Grasspaw's waiting claws. He killed it with a swift bite to the neck, then glared up at Silentpaw.

"I had that," he growled. Silentpaw fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"That's good, since I made such a silly mistake," he innocently lied instead.

Grasspaw's eyes gleamed at that, the concept of one-upping Silentpaw apparently much more appealing than the alternative, and he turned tail and bounded through the trees. Exasperated but pleased that Grasspaw had at least one good catch to impress his mentor with, Silentpaw proceeded to follow a frog trail as his third catch.

When he returned with his kills, Grasspaw was already there, glowing with pride, a mouse and finch added to his catches. He almost offered a friendly flick of the tail until he heard what was being said.

"It was such a rookie mistake," Grasspaw boasted, puffing out his chest. "If I wasn't there, Silentpaw would have chased off that squirrel for good! Not such a great hunter, eh?"

Silentpaw made his presence known by dropping his blackbird pointedly on the pine needle-strewn ground, glare burning holes into the ungrateful apprentice's pelt. _That selfish foxheart! _Of course Grasspaw would not simply claim the kill; true to the rest of their horrid Clan, he had to throw someone else to the dogs just to make themselves look even better.

Uninterested in hearing any scolding from his mentor, Silentpaw scooped his kills up once more and led the way back to camp, trotting several tail-lengths ahead of his Clanmates with his head held high. At least Echopaw would be happy to share the blackbird with him.

Except she was angry with him.

Tail drooping, Silentpaw dropped his catches on the fresh-kill pile. He could hear Cinderstar questioning Deadthroat and Oakdrop about the success of their apprentices. At the sound of an affirmative, Cinderstar leapt to the branch hanging over her den, and with a heavy sigh Silentpaw stuck around for the oncoming ceremony. He had always expected he would be more excited about it.

"Two apprentices have passed their assessments to become warriors," Cinderstar said loudly to her Clan, though very few bothered to listen to or even attend Clan meetings anymore. In an unenthusiastic parody of what must have once been a grand ceremony, Cinderstar continued, "Silentpaw, you will be henceforth known as Silentfall. Grasspaw, you will be called Grassstep. Serve your Clan well."

With that, Cinderstar leapt back down to the ground and slid inside her den, Grassstep stalked away self-importantly, and their former mentors left Silentfall alone in the clearing to stew in his resentment.

"Silentfall," came a pleased purr in his ear, and he flinched away with a started hiss. Echopaw's pretty blue eyes met his, sparkling with pride, and he felt his pelt grow hot with embarrassment.

"I thought you were angry with me," he muttered, looking away in shame. Echopaw flicked an indifferent ear.

"I was," she said. "But I saw what you pulled on your assessment."

"You saw?"

"I've been practicing my hunting crouch!"

Silentfall's surprise melted into loathing once more, and he rolled a pebble on the ground moodily. "It didn't mean anything in the end. He just used it to make fun of me. I don't know what I expected." Echopaw pressed close to his side, her soothing scent wreathing around him.

"Well, I'm proud of you for trying," she mewed fondly, and his heart swelled with warmth. _She's proud. _He had never been worthy of someone else's pride before. He could definitely get used to it.

_I don't care what happens to this place, _he thought, a purr rising in his throat, _as long as she's with me._


	10. Chapter 10

"Do you have to go?"

It was a stupid question, and Mintpaw rolled her eyes to make it clear she was thinking it. "Of course I have to go. If I don't go this half moon, I don't know if Lichenpuddle will offer again."

"I'm surprised he's even giving you your name at all," Stoneskip grumbled, resentful of the spiteful old medicine cat. He had gotten his own name only two sunrises before, and he had expected the rude mentor to force his sister to wait even longer.

"Anything to make him push the workload on me, I guess," Mintpaw sighed. She reached forward and touched noses with her brother, and he could smell the traveling herbs on her breath. "You'll be fine without me. I'll be back before you know it!"

"I guess," he grumbled, watching helplessly as she bounded off to meet Lichenpuddle at the camp entrance. With a final wave of her golden-spotted tail, she was gone, leaving Stoneskip alone in the clearing in the middle of camp. With a heavy sigh, he rose to his paws and glanced around the camp. _What now?_

_Sew the seeds of change. _

"Stonepaw!"

"Stoneskip," the tom corrected automatically, swinging his head around to glare at his tormentor, but had to look low to spot Otterpaw as she swiped at his tail. Lifting it high so she could not reach it, he grunted in his best impression of a cranky warrior, "What do you want?"

Otterpaw, quickly losing interest in his tail, licked her paw and drew it over her whiskers. "Troutpad doesn't pay any attention to me," she complained. "Couldn't Smokestar have at least given me a more competent mentor?"

"Like who?" Stoneskip asked, amused at her bold insult. Otterpaw shrugged.

"Like a cat that wants to be one, for starters," she mewed. Eyes glittering with mischief, she added, "I'd even take _you _at this point!"

"Hey!" Stoneskip scolded good-naturedly. "I'm a great warrior!" Otterpaw's whiskers twitched in amused challenge, and he huffed dramatically. "I don't need the validation of some little apprentice. I have important warrior things to do, and I can't have you tripping me up. Go bother someone else."

"Important warrior stuff?" Otterpaw echoed, eyes now sparkling with curiosity. "Like what?"

Stoneskip paused, the amusement sliding off his features. _Like fixing a whole Clan, _he thought unenthusiastically. Where to even start? Even if he could "fix" his Clan, let alone all the others, he had no idea what the goal was. Where was he supposed to push them toward? What did their improved future look like? He did not even know where the Clans started, so how could he even begin to bring back their glory days?

_Wait - that's it!_

"Like hunting for the elders," Stoneskip mewed, stretching and trotting toward the camp entrance. He paused then, feeling bad for leaving Otterpaw antsy in camp. Looking over his shoulder, he asked, "Do you want to come with? I could use some extra paws."

"Well, I've got four!" Otterpaw meowed enthusiastically, jumping to her feet and bounding after him. As they pushed past the reed-covered entrance, she continued, "I can't wait to catch my first piece of prey!" Stoneskip halted in his tracks, staring at her in surprise, and Otterpaw skidded to a halt a tail-length ahead to stare at him in surprise. "What?"

"Troutpad hasn't taken you hunting?" he asked, forcing his paws to move once more. Otterpaw shook her head, sticking her tongue out at the mention of her mentor.

"He doesn't let me do anything because he doesn't want to go with me," she grouched. She dropped into a hunting crouch, and already Stoneskip could see problems that would need corrected. "I've done nothing but change the elders' bedding, and they do nothing but complain! It's so dull in camp." She straightened, pouting and adding, "And _don't _tell me my crouch needs work. I know it does."

"You're still caring for the elders," Stoneskip pointed out instead, guiltily shoving his criticisms to the back of his mind. Otterpaw shrugged, prancing ahead a few tail-lengths and sniffing the air.

"Yeah, but I'd like to see them complain about a tasty water vole," she replied, voice lowering as she dropped into a crouch once more and started to crawl toward the riverbank.

Raising his head, Stoneskip took a few seconds, but finally scented the prey Otterpaw was stalking. He followed her with light paws. _That nose will be useful, _he marveled as he crept along behind her, keeping his eyes and ears open and watching her ears swivel similarly to pick up the sound of tiny paws. _And her crouch doesn't need as much work as she thinks. _Indeed, Otterpaw was quickly correcting her stance on her own, falling comfortably into almost-correct posture. They could hone it well in time.

A few pawsteps ahead of him, Otterpaw paused, and Stoneskip moved as silently as possible up to her side. There was the vole they were tracking, nosing along the bank and stopping every few paces to wash its face. Stoneskip waited, watched as Otterpaw's whiskers quivered in anticipation. She took a step forward - _wrong, _Stoneskip thought - but hesitated and redirected it to the left, skirting around her prey.

Stoneskip watched her circle the vole, surprise pricking his pelt. Had Troutpad actually taught her about hunting from downwind?

Otterpaw did not waste time, either - as soon as she was situated across from Stoneskip, she was wiggling her haunches, and then launching herself forward at her prey. The vole stood no chance of escape from her claws, and Otterpaw sat up, a pleased gleam in her eyes. Stoneskip could not help bouncing to his paws with pride warming his pelt and hurrying forward to congratulate her. _What am I, her mentor?_

"A few more kills like that, and the elders will be too busy stuffing their annoying mouths to whine," Stoneskip praised, bumping shoulders with the apprentice. "Shall I teach you how to catch fish?"

Otterpaw nearly dropped her catch in reply, eyes sparkling as she mumbled around the vole, "Yes, please!"

As it turned out, Otterpaw was excellent at catching fish. Stoneskip, a much worse fisher, had been immensely proud of the trout he had managed to swipe from the water, but Otterpaw had him beat by her third minnow.

_She's such a fast learner, _Stoneskip thought, impressed. He watched as Otterpaw swiped yet another fish from the water, droplets arcing above them and splattering their pelts. It was a pleasant sensation in the sunshine, and the joy on Otterpaw's features made his chest ache with a mixture of pride and shame. _How could any mentor turn down a chance to teach a cat like that?_

"Alright," Stoneskip said, pushing himself to his paws and shaking droplets from his fur. "Keep that up and there won't be enough fish left to make more! Let's get these back to camp."

Otterpaw followed suit, hitting Stoneskip with the water from her pelt. "Yes, Stoneskip!"

* * *

It took multiple trips to bring all of their prey back, and with some difficulty Stoneskip carried two of the fish in his jaws to the elder's den, Otterpaw prancing behind with her first vole. He pushed past the thick brambles, cringing internally as they snagged against his thick pelt, and met the stares of several visibly old - and also visibly annoyed - ungroomed cats.

"Who's there?" one mewed gravelly. "Otterpaw? The bedding you brought me was soaking!"

"Even if it was, it isn't anymore," Otterpaw snapped, squeezing into the den behind Stoneskip. It was incredibly crowded with the two of them plus three elders, and Stoneskip sat back on his haunches in an effort to make more room.

"You disrespectful little kit!" another elder howled, unsheathing her claws, and Stoneskip bristled, prepared to defend the little apprentice if need be. Otterpaw, however, rolled her eyes and dropped the water vole at her paws.

"Stop being so dramatic," the apprentice snorted. "Shut up and eat this vole."

"Like any cat wants any nasty crowfood _you_ catch," the first elder grouched. _How can they be so mean to someone that cares for them? _Stoneskip wondered, taken aback at their attitude. Otterpaw snatched the vole back up before the elder pawing at it could shred it to inedibility.

"Then eat dung," she sniffed. _"I'll _eat the vole instead!"

"Ungrateful - "

"Shut up," the third elder mewed mellowly, one Stoneskip recognized as Shellflight. She was the oldest cat in the Clan. "This warrior brought salmon, your favorite."

"But - "

"I'm tired of listening to you," Shellflight snapped, with all the authority of a seasoned leader, and everyone in the den shrunk back. "Eat."

"Here," Stoneskip said hurriedly, pushing the fish toward the two loud elders. They hunkered down to eat, glaring at Otterpaw with an accusatory eye. He turned to Shellflight. "Would you like the other one?"

"Share it with me, little one," Shellflight purred, though there was command in her tone. Knowing better than to protest or claim lack of hunger, Stoneskip settled down and took the first bite.

"I caught those, by the way," Otterpaw meowed pointedly through a mouthful of shrew. The two annoying elders jerked their heads up, turning their noses away from their meal in disgust, but one glare from Shellflight had them taking another reluctant mouthful. Pleased, Otterpaw purred through another bite.

"I don't like vain apprentices," Shellflight said, catching Otterpaw's eye in warning, "but sharing a den with these old badgers is even worse." She glanced back to Stoneskip, and for the first time Stoneskip saw a lack of irritation in her eyes. Now, she was curious. "Tell me, warrior, what are you looking for? I know you didn't come here just to feed us."

"No," Stoneskip admitted, pelt prickling with embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"Don't feel guilty," Shellflight told him. "I wouldn't care if my denmates starved, even if it meant I went out, too."

_Wow, _Stoneskip thought, startled at the harshness in her mew. She was not joking. _I guess when you live long enough, you don't take nonsense and you don't fear death._

"I wanted to know, since you're the oldest in the Clan - "

"Never tell a queen her age," Shellflight muttered.

Stoneskip hesitated, ears burning in shame, but Shellflight nodded for him to continue. "Were the Clans ever different, in your memory?"

"You mean, were cats ever not hostile, hateful, and useless at achieving their intended purpose?"

Stoneskip blinked, watching as Shellflight took a very casual follow-up bite from the fish. "I . . . yes? Wait, their intended purpose?"

Shellflight's stare pierced into his soul, bringing with it a clear message that he should feel very foolish for even thinking to ask such a question.

"We call these little bands of cats Clans," Shellflight said, "but what is a Clan? What is the definition of the word? Surely even youngsters like you have enough of a brain to know that much. A Clan is supposed to be close-knit and caring, but look around you. Are we either of those things?"

Stoneskip shook his head, but Shellflight was not waiting for an answer. She continued to speak in the way old cats do, going on tangents and telling stories with very little prompting.

"To answer your question, no. Not in my lifetime. Since I was a kit, young cats showed blatant disrespect their elders, equals, and especially their lessers. Mothers loathed their kits. Warriors abused their apprentices. Medicine cats were bullied and made to feel lesser. It was all the same RiverClan that you both know today.

"However, there was one elder. No, he did not recall a time in living memory before the Clans were crowfood, either," Shellflight added, to Stoneskip's disappointment. "But he was kind, and often bullied, and loved to tell stories, ones another elder once told him. 'That elder,' he said, 'did remember a time when some cats were kind. And he had many stories from generations and generations before, ones he said we should never forget.' But that old badger forgot half of them, anyway."

"That's sad," Otterpaw piped up. Stoneskip did not know when she had settled down with her paws curled underneath her, but there she was, eyes glittering as she listened to this elder tell her tale. "Did he at least tell you some of them before he forgot?"

"One or two," Shellflight answered, surprisingly unbothered by the interruption, "but the rest of those lost are gone forever. Still, he told me many of how the Clans were once great and revered. Of how kittypets used to not only fear us, but admired us. How we used to show mercy on our foes. How medicine cats used to be respected and held to high regard. How StarClan used to speak to them.

"Once," Shellflight continued, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper, "he told me that leaders used to have nine lives!"

Otterpaw's eyes became huge. _"Really? _Do you believe him?"

"I'm not sure," Shellflight answered honestly, likely the only thing she had ever been unsure of in her life. "He told great stories of mighty leaders that threw their lives away to protect their Clanmates. Selfless leaders that protected the weak and made them strong. Leaders who would sacrifice anything for their Clan. I think leaders like those would be worthy of nine lives."

"Are there any stories of adventures?!" Otterpaw asked, bouncing to her paws in excitement. Shellflight offered an amused purr.

"Many, but we don't have time for much. The most noteworthy one I recall is how the Clans crossed over the mountains to the lake we live at now to escape their former territory."

"Tell me everything," Otterpaw begged.

"Bring me another salmon and I'll think about it," Shellflight haggled.

In a heartbeat, Otterpaw was sprinting back out the den entrance, and Shellflight sighed and rested her head on her paws. But Stoneskip was still thinking, and he cocked his head.

"Why did the Clans have to escape their old territory?" he asked. Shellflight shrugged, not opening her eyes.

"That part of the tale didn't survive. But some things are meant to be left behind, whatever the reason." She nestled snugly in her nest, finely crafted by Otterpaw's deft paws. "Now get out of here. I'm going to catch what rest I can while that hyper kit is away."


	11. Chapter 11

"Honeykit, you will now be known as Honeypaw. Acornnose will be your mentor."

* * *

"This is stupid," Acornnose grumbled as she sunk into her new nest. It was lumpy and misshapen, previously used by an old warrior that had just moved into the elders' den, but even the uncomfortable moss was bliss after her long day. "I'm barely a warrior! Why would she give _me _an apprentice?"

A white-furred warrior rose his head to glare, eyes bleary from sleep, but Rowantail plopped down next to her former apprentice. The sight of her averted any wandering eyes or hostility. Most of ThunderClan respected Rowantail, however begrudgingly, as her sharp tongue and claws were not something most cats wanted to cross.

"Don't you like Honeypaw?" Rowantail questioned, folding her paws beneath her. Acornnose flattened her ears guiltily and sighed.

"I do," she replied, resting her chin on her paws. "She's a way better apprentice than I ever was. But giving me an apprentice two sunrises after my own naming ceremony? It's been days and I still don't know what I'm doing! I didn't get a chance to even _be _a warrior, let alone teach one!" Lowering her voice and choosing her words carefully, she added, "And how am I supposed to fulfill the . . . _mission_ . . . when I have my paws full with a cat barely out of kithood?"

"She does that to all of us," Rowantail mewed sympathetically. "Furstar likes to watch us fail. We just have to prove her wrong." She tilted her head. "Have you considered that perhaps raising kind cats could be the key to introducing change?"

Acornnose paused. That claim had some merit; after all, that was how Rowantail had raised her, and she had turned out alright. To slowly flush out hate by teaching new cats to be good seemed like a lot of work, though, and it would take a long time for the negativity to finally perish. The idea was daunting.

_It is your duty. _

However stressful, Acornnose had to try. Aside from the prophecy, Honeypaw deserved a good mentor. A good life. Protection from the fox-hearts of the forest. Acornnose would do her best to give it to her.

"I'll try," she promised, despite the doubt nagging at her heart.

* * *

"Try to keep your paws tucked in more when you land."

"Okay."

"It's fine if you get your prey on the first try, but if you miss and your paws are sprawled out, it'll be harder to chase it afterward."

"I get it," Honeypaw snapped. "Just let me hunt, will you?"

Acornnose's ears flattened briefly in surprise, and her whiskers twitched in indignation. "Excuse me?"

Trying to keep the hurt from her tone proved impossible, and for a brief moment she wondered how Rowantail had been anything other than upset when she had acted up as an apprentice. How could one put their heart and soul into raising another cat and be unaffected when that cat snapped back?

"I get it," Honeypaw huffed, sitting up. "You're trying to be a good mentor or whatever, but I know what I'm doing!"

"I'm trying to help," Acornnose replied, forcing patience into her voice. "I want you to know everything you'll need before you become a warrior. The others can be - "

"They're fox-hearts, I get it," Honeypaw interrupted, agitation audibly increasing as her hackles started to raise. "You won't be my mentor forever, and even now you can't protect me from them! They're everywhere, the whole Clan! Even the other apprentices are horrible! They're all cruel and nasty and you're not always around to stop them!"

"Honeypaw - " Acornnose tried, but her apprentice was not finished.

"What, were you going to treat me like a kit until I became a warrior and just leave me to figure it out on my own?! No cat here has a heart! This place is full of crowfood masquerading as cats, and nothing you do is going to change that!" Honeypaw's voice slowly grew thick with grief as she raved, and she slammed a frustrated paw on the ground. "Stop trying to act like everything is alright!"

"Honeypaw," Acornnose repeated, more firmly this time, and idly noted how much it sounded like Rowantail's stern mew. She approached her apprentice and laid her tail over her shoulders gently. "I'm sorry. You're right. I've been trying to hide you from things I can't control, and that's wrong of me."

Honeypaw sniffed, and Acornnose thought she would try to remain standoffish, but to her surprise the apprentice leaned against her mentor for support. Acornnose touched her muzzle fondly to Honeypaw's head before continuing.

"The cats here aren't pleasant. They weren't when I was your age, not even when Rowantail was your age. I doubt there's a cat alive that remembers ThunderClan being friendly." Acornnose sighed, shoulders sagging. "But in order for things to change, they have to start somewhere, you know? And I don't know about you, I can't control your actions, but I'm _not _going to perpetuate this terrible cycle. You deserve a good mentor. A good life. We all do."

"We don't _all," _Honeypaw muttered, rolling her eyes. "Rockgorse can choke on dung for all I care."

Acornnose snorted, nudging her apprentice playfully. "Alright, maybe not him. And anyway," she added, "none of this makes you immune to criticism!"

"Fine," Honeypaw sighed, as though it was the biggest nuisance in the world to listen to her mentor, but when she looked back up at Acornnose there was a sparkle in her eye. "I'll keep my paws closer in, alright? That means no more lectures!"

"Who's supposed to be giving orders, here?" Acornnose retorted, purring. Honeypaw stuck her tongue out. "Alright, alright. Don't miss any catches, and _then _I'll decide whether or not you get any more lectures."

Honeypaw bounded off wordlessly in search of prey, and Acornnose faltered, the amusement fading from her features.

The young cat's words had not yet left her mind. She truly could not protect Honeypaw; already, she was failing as a mentor, and in her mission. If even a lively young apprentice like Honeypaw was impacted so soon by the Clan's spite and animosity, how could Acornnose hope to keep her spirits up? The rate of cats dying and being born was daunting enough, but knowing that those same cats would be actively trying to destroy her progress as she worked made everything feel even more fruitless.

What if there was no hope for change?


	12. Chapter 12

"You really don't think there's anything else you could be doing to help?"

One of the kits they were watching launched itself onto Ripplenose's back with a yowl of triumph, and he gasped exaggeratedly, slumping to the ground as if slain. Moonpaw purred in amusement as the kit's two siblings joined it, prancing onto Ripplenose's back and shouting out their victory for all to hear. Ripplenose heaved himself upright, and the kits squealed, latching onto his shoulders as he tromped around like the badger he was playing as.

"I will always be kind, Ripplenose," Moonpaw replied, darting forward to catch a kit by the scruff that was wobbling precariously. She set it gently on the ground only for it to scamper after her brother once more. "But the others have it all wrong."

The mother of the kits padded over then, licking her jowls from her meal. Ripplenose crouched low and let them clamber off his back, and the queen gave them a brief, thankful nod before leading her litter back into the nursery. Ripplenose straightened back up and shook his fur out from where the kits had ruffled it.

"Why not tell them?" he asked, settling down next to his sister.

Moonpaw gazed up toward Silverpelt and, beyond it, her namesake, her eyes glowing in its white light.

"They must do some learning on their own," she answered softly.

After the queen, every other cat seemed to be heading to bed, and they knew it would be time soon. Moonpaw started to pad in the direction of the warrior's den, intent on seeing her brother to bed, but he stopped her with an amused purr, shaking his head.

"I'm on lookout tonight," he told her, heading toward the camp entrance. "I'll make sure you can slip in and out with no trouble. Get a little rest before the coast is clear, will you?"

A soft purr rumbled in Moonpaw's throat, and she headbutted his shoulder in thanks. "I'll try."

* * *

She did get a small nap in before the moon was high. She quietly slipped out of her shared nest with Tinypaw, stretched, and snuck silently out of the apprentice's den. Unlike some of her previous forays out of camp at moonhigh, Ripplenose was there to wave her off with a friendly tail, and she purred a quiet thanks as she brushed past him and into the forest.

The moon shone between the trees, cold and bright, lighting her path as though Silverpelt itself was guiding her. _It is, _she thought, perhaps more grimly than most. Her paws carried her through her familiar territory and to the lake's shore, where the water was lapping ever so gently at the edge of the woods.

The trek around the lake was long, longer than it was for any other Clan, but on her way past ThunderClan she ran into - almost literally - a friendly face.

"Acornpaw," Moonpaw greeted in a warm mew, combating the cold night air. The ThunderClan cat fell into step with her, their pelts brushing against one another and sharing warmth.

"Acornnose now," she corrected proudly, puffing her chest out. She paused, then narrowed her eyes, peering at Moonpaw suspiciously. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Moonpaw purred in amusement, tail flicking airily. "Perhaps," she mewed evasively.

She wondered if they would run into their WindClan companion on the way, as well, but there was no sign of the blonde tabby as they passed the moor. As they approached the island, however, their two RiverClan friends greeted them at the tree trunk bridge, seeing them across without incident. Apparently the last to arrive, the cats all mingled, sharing tongues and new names.

"What's yours?" Stoneskip asked her, eyes glittering curiously.

"Mine still has not changed," Moonpaw replied, tail curling around her body to rest on her paws. The memory of rejecting her naming ceremony was fresh in her mind, as was the guilt and confusion in her brother's eyes. Before the other cats could start asking questions, she continued, "It isn't important. We're here for a reason, yes?"

Begrudgingly, Stoneskip nodded, and they each took seats in a neat circle. This one was closer-knit than the last, Moonpaw noted, the cats clearly more comfortable with each other than before, though still separated by Clan.

"We have gathered here today under the full moon for a purpose," Moonpaw began, turning her head up toward the sky, before glancing at each of her companions in turn. "How have you all fared in your efforts to improve Clan life?"

No cat spoke. Silentfall turned his head away, ears angling away in agitation, and Lightpool shuffled her paws anxiously. Mintberry's tail-tip twitched as though she wished to speak, but nary a word came from her jaws.

Finally, Echofrost stood and stepped forward. "I'm not so sure we have the right idea," she meowed hesitantly.

As one, every other cat seemed to sigh in relief, tension escaping from them as a tangible force. Moonpaw's ears pricked with interest. Had they already come to understand, so soon after their first meeting? What could have happened to them to discourage them already?

"No matter how pleasant I am with my mentor," Echofrost continued, encouraged by the reactions of the others, "he's still so spiteful! He just wants someone to bully, just like everyone else."

"Even other young cats are deaf to our attempts," Silentfall added. It was surprising for him to speak up in front of so many others, so Moonpaw was not surprised when he did not elaborate. Lightpool stepped up instead.

"Everyone thinks I'm a fool for even trying," she mewed bitterly.

"I'm having to mentor an apprentice for her real mentor just because he wants nothing to do with her!" Stoneskip said, mew indignant. Mintberry nodded passionately along with her brother.

"I had to suck up to my mentor just for him to take me to the Moonpool for my name."

"I already have my own apprentice," Acornnose said, and the notion was greeted with noises of shock. "And through her, I can tell that no matter how nice I am, the rest of the Clan will always try their hardest to destroy the good I've done."

Moonpaw nodded along patiently with each story, not betraying the hope that sparked in her chest. "In my Clan, too, for every good bit of progress, it seems there is some other cat just as intent on making things worse."

"What kind of prophecy is this?!" Silentfall burst out suddenly before Moonpaw could continue on the speech she intended, and several others blinked at him in surprise. He slammed an aggravated paw on the ground, staring around at them all. "What are we supposed to do? It's all so fruitless!"

"Maybe we're misinterpreting it?" Mintberry proposed, cocking her head. "Surely StarClan wouldn't send an unfulfillable prophecy."

"It could be a misunderstanding," Stoneskip said thoughtfully, tilting his head similarly. "After what one of the elders told me, I think I have some ideas - "

"No ideas from senile old mangepelts are going to do us any good," Lightpool snapped at him, catching them all off guard. Stoneskip bristled, and Mintberry put a paw forward as though meaning to leap to her brother's defense.

"We get it, you're a pessimist - at least have the consideration to keep it to yourself!"

"She's not wrong. This is all stupid!"

"Let's all just calm down - "

"Stay out of it!"

"That is _enough!"_

All heads turned to Moonpaw, some glowering, some shocked. Moonpaw peered upward at the clouds covering the moon, and a chill came over her - their ancestors, the cats that set them on this task, were undoubtedly furious. She stood, tail lashing. More than one of her companions took a step back, intimidated with her fur fluffed up as it was, making her appear larger than she was.

"What has gotten into you all?" she continued, glaring around the circle. Silentfall glared at his paws, and Mintberry looked away, tail flicking behind her. "We are in this together! We were chosen for a purpose, and whether you all like it or not, it's up to us to do what we can to follow the path set before us!"

The fur raising on her spine was out of her control, and she glanced up at the sky again. Something was looming, approaching. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

Scoffing, Lightpool asked, "Who's to say that we didn't just dream this up as imaginative apprentices? Is this even a prophecy?"

"No," answered a voice that belonged to none of them.

Moonpaw forced herself into some kind of composure as the others glanced around wildly for the owner of the voice. In the low branches of the island's great oak tree materialized three cats. They were transparent, the stars of Silverpelt lighting their fur, and their names came to Moonpaw's mind - Tigerpool, the huge half-blind tom; Ravenstream, the battle-scarred she-cat; and finally, Crookedtail, a small tortoiseshell calico, her namesake flicking behind her in a greeting that no cat returned.

"This was no prophecy," Tigerpool repeated, leaping down from the tree. His companions followed suit, landing silently on the ground, as though they were not touching it at all. "We never claimed it was."

"It was a warning," Crookedtail continued, stepping forward to stand alongside the tom. Ravenstream followed suit, glaring around at each living cat in turn.

"It was an _order," _she hissed, tail lashing behind her.

Moonpaw dipped her head, guilt coursing through her. Order, indeed. Had she made the wrong choice, allowing the others to come to their own conclusions? Would their ancestors be insulted? Would they punish her?

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Echofrost asked, taking a step forward. "You didn't exactly leave us instructions, you know!"

"We told you everything you needed to know," Tigerpool growled back.

"Who are you to boss us around?" Lightpool demanded, eyes narrowed. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"You don't," Crookedtail replied patiently. "It is a leap of faith."

"Are you even StarClan?" Silentfall queried.

"StarClan is _dead!" _Ravenstream snarled, abruptly hushing the questioning, and Moonpaw flinched. To anger these cats would be a grave mistake. "The divides in the afterlife are, and always have been, a joke! You kits know _nothing!"_

She turned, tail swishing back and forth in agitation so quickly it was a blur. Tigerpool followed suit with an unimpressed glare toward the living, and they both began to fade from sight, only the stars in their pelts revealing their location, or that they were even there at all.

"Wait!" Acornnose protested, panic rising in her tone. "What are we supposed to do?"

With a snort of contempt, Ravenstream finally vanished, and Tigerpool left right after her without so much as a farewell. Only Crookedtail remained, and they all stared at her, helpless and confused. The tortoiseshell lingered, soft brown eyes landing on each of them in turn.

"Some things are beyond saving," she mewed gently. "Know when it is time to start anew."

Only Moonpaw noticed the way Stoneskip's eyes sparkled with realization. They were all busy watching as Crookedtail took calm, measured steps in approaching Moonpaw. They touched noses, Crookedtail radiating warmth, and Moonpaw felt a soothing peace overcome her as a gentle breeze ruffled her fur.

"From now on, you are Moonwatcher, little one." Crookedtail turned and padded away from the circle of cats, starting to fade from sight. She glanced over her shoulder to deliver her final message. "Lead them well."

And then she vanished.

The island was overcome by silence, not even the bugs that chittered at night making noise. They remained still, staring at the place where Crookedtail once stood. Then, as one, they all turned their heads to stare at Moonwatcher, eyes wide with a variation of fear, shock, and awe.

"What . . . what do we do now?" Mintberry asked for all of them, the million-dollar question. Moonwatcher opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated, her eyes landing on the medicine cat's brother.

"Do you have an idea, Stoneskip?" she asked instead of answering.

The RiverClan cat started, eyes widening a fraction in surprise, a clear question on the tip of his tongue. Moonwatcher gave him a small nod. An invitation to speak. Stoneskip nodded back, shuffled his paws, and peered uncertainly around at his companions.

"We leave."

Gasps erupted around them, exclamations of "No way!" and "That can't be right!" making Stoneskip shrink back, but another encouraging nod from Moonwatcher had him lifting his chin once more, his voice stronger and more sure.

"That's what the elder I mentioned said," he continued. "She said that once, the Clans had to leave their old home to find a new one, a better one. I think it's time we leave this one. There's nothing here for us."

"Stoneskip is correct," Moonwatcher said when the cats glanced at each other doubtfully. "I know it's a lot. I know no cat wants to leave the place they call home. But think - are any of you happy here? Do you wish to spend your lives here? Would you see your kits grow up here? Here, where life is cruel and no cat is happy?"

To her surprise, it was Silentfall who first shook his head violently, and the rest followed suit. Even the medicine cats, who had chosen their roles knowing fully well that they would not be permitted to find love or have families, offered mumbles of agreement. That was good - their cooperation would be essential in the moons to come.

"Lightpool, Echofrost, Mintberry." The medicine cats rose to attention at her call. "We will need extra traveling herbs for those of us without access to them. Can you do that?" Nods followed her words. "Are there any extra cats we should account for?"

"My old mentor," Acornnose said quickly. "She will want to come. She'll be a good addition, I promise."

"I can take care of my father," Lightpool said.

"My brother is likely to come," Moonwatcher added when no other cat stepped forward. "Do we have enough extra paws for that?"

"With Silentfall and Stoneskip, we should," Mintberry mewed.

"Then it is settled," Moonwatcher continued, tone final. "We will leave two sunrises from now. That should give you three plenty of time to gather the necessary herbs. Until then, all of you, go back to your nests and rest."


	13. Chapter 13

**I am _so _sorry, y'all. I totally lost track of what day it was. But here's the final chapter for you all, in all its glory. **

* * *

"Tomorrow night, huh?"

Acornnose nodded, pawing idly at her mouse. Rowantail sighed exaggeratedly.

"You sure give a cat plenty of time to make up her mind," Rowantail mewed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Acornnose did not rise to the jibe, and Rowantail bumped shoulders with her. "Of course I'm coming. I can't leave you kits without supervision."

"Thank you," Acornnose replied gratefully, and she finally leaned down to take a bite from her prey, a bit of tension leaving her shoulders. Rowantail followed suit, chewing on a bite of squirrel and eyeing her old apprentice.

"That's not all, is it?"

Acornnose shook her head.

"Honeypaw?" Rowantail asked.

"Honeypaw," Acornnose confirmed.

"Have you considered - and this is just off the top of my head - talking to her?"

Acornnose shrugged. "I haven't really gotten the chance. And what am I supposed to say? How can I expect an apprentice to make a decision about something so big?"

"Sometimes cats can surprise you," Rowantail said simply. "Whatever you do, she deserves to know you're leaving, and not last-second, either."

Acornnose nodded. Rowantail was right. She was always right. Honeypaw at least deserved to know. So, with determination and a bit of dread, she swallowed down the last few bites of her mouse and started toward the elders' den. Inside she could hear the irate complaints of an elder as Honeypaw dabbed mouse bile on its ticks.

"Honeypaw," she called. There were sounds of scrambling inside, a brief apology, and Honeypaw came bounding out of the den.

"Thank goodness!" she mewed in greeting, prancing circles around her mentor. "If you hadn't come along, I'm sure that old badger would've swiped my ears off my head!"

Stifling a purr of amusement, Acornnose headed for the tunnel out of camp. "I bet they would! Come on, we're going out for battle training."

Honeypaw's eyes shone with excitement, and a flash of guilt coursed through her as they left camp. It was a lie, but a lie her apprentice was excited for.

Out into the forest they walked, Honeypaw dashing ahead a few paces and then waiting for Acornnose to catch up. Greenleaf was nearly upon them, and the forest's healthy foliage reflected that clearly. This part of the forest, Acornnose thought, she would miss.

"Wait," she called to Honeypaw, and her apprentice came prancing back, a question on her tongue. "We're not here for battle training."

"We're not?" Honeypaw echoed, disappointment in her tone. "Oh. Then why _are _we here?"

It was hard to speak around the guilty lump in her throat, but Acornnose would not keep her apprentice in suspense. "I'm leaving," she told her, and watched confusion overtake the appointment. "Tomorrow night, Rowantail and I are leaving. For good. I won't ask you to leave everything behind, but if you want to come - "

"An adventure away from this rotten place?" Honeypaw interrupted, bouncing excitedly on her paws. "Count me in!"

* * *

"This is a lot of herbs," Quickbreeze mumbled, muffled through the leaves in his mouth.

"Keep talking and you're going to crush them," Lightpool scolded before picking up her own stack. "Acornnose told me they have an extra to account for."

"This is a lot of cats just up and ditching the Clans."

"Don't say that so loud so close to camp!"

Quickbreeze shrugged, unconcerned. Lightpool rolled her eyes and padded into camp, her father on her heels, and made a beeline for the medicine den. The sun was high, and most cats were napping - but not, for once, Meadowbranch. Quickbreeze started when he noticed the medicine cat, and he quickly dropped the herbs in a pile next to the stores.

"I'll just, uh, leave these here." With a hurried nod to Meadowbranch, he turned and nearly sprinted from the den. Lightpool sighed and set her bundle down more gently on the ground, beginning to divide them into separate piles.

"Those are traveling herbs."

"I suppose they are," Lightpool answered, shoulders sagging a little. What did it matter if Meadowbranch found out the truth? He would forget soon, anyway, so he could scold however much he wanted now. Lightpool would not fret too much.

"I always knew you would leave someday," Meadowbranch said instead, giving her pause.

"You . . . did?"

"Ever since you were a kit, bumbling into my herb stores for the first time, I've known you were meant for other things," Meadowbranch told her, shifting in his nest to tuck his paws under him. "You've never let others keep you from what you knew was your fate. Don't start now."

It felt like a farewell. It was, wasn't it? She would be leaving forever soon, and what would happen to Meadowbranch then? Was he well enough to train another apprentice? Would Blossomstar even grant him one? Would they treat him as patiently as Lightpool had?

"I don't want to leave you behind."

"You must, little one. My place is here."

"You're not like them," Lightpool protested, unable to keep the petulant quaver out of her voice. "Come with us!"

"I can't make that kind of journey anymore," Meadowbranch replied, shaking his head.

He craned his neck forward, and Lightpool rushed to meet him, their noses touching gently. His eyes brimmed with emotion, but his voice was gentle and stable.

"Go far from here, Lightpool. Live happily away from this place."

* * *

"Go, go!"

"Don't push me!"

"Shhh!"

"You shhh!"

"Where are you two going?" interrupted a curious voice, and the siblings paused in their tracks.

"Otterpaw?" Stoneskip hissed under his breath. "This - uh, this isn't . . . what it looks like."

"That's good," Otterpaw mewed, kind enough to lower her voice, "because it looks an awful lot like you're stealing herbs."

"No, what?" Stoneskip bluffed, glancing to Mintberry and begging silently for help with his eyes. "These are . . . they're for, uh. For . . . "

"We're stealing them," Mintberry piped up helpfully.

"We're stealing them," Stoneskip sighed, resigned.

"Traveling herbs, right?" Otterpaw asked, padding after them as they slunk quietly out of camp. "Where are you going?"

Mintberry and Stoneskip exchanged wary glances, and they paused at the river's edge, the sound of its gurgling loud enough to mask their conversation from any attempted listeners. Stoneskip hesitated, scuffing his paws at the mud. How was he supposed to tell this apprentice that he had begun to mentor, in a way, that he planned on ditching her for some grand destiny?

"We're leaving," Mintberry mewed simply for him. "For good."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

Otterpaw cocked her head, then bounced once on her paws. "So you're bringing me, too, right?"

"It wasn't exactly in the plans," Mintberry replied hesitantly, glancing at her brother.

"Are you sure you want to leave your family behind?" Stoneskip asked, knowing the answer.

"I can't stand them, and they can't stand me," Otterpaw snorted. "They might be angry I'm gone, but it won't be because they like me. So," she continued, eyes sparkling, "you're gonna bring me along, right?"

The siblings shared another glance, and Mintberry sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Fine," she relented, "but you have to carry the extra herbs. Let's go get you some."

* * *

"Echofrost, I . . . need to tell you something."

"Can it wait until after we've pulled off this heist?" Echofrost murmured, eyes not straying from the mouth of the medicine den. Silentfall shifted uncomfortably, shuffling his paws in the dirt.

"I guess so," he mumbled.

Echofrost sighed and sat up on her haunches, pretty blue eyes peering into his. "Alright," she relented, cocking her head. "I can tell it's bothering you. What's up?"

Silentfall took in a huge breath, then let it out. _I'm not going to live this lie any longer. It's now or never._

"I want to be a she-cat."

Echofrost blinked. She was silent a moment, processing, before she slowly said, "Okay. What brought this on?"

Her eyes were piercing as always, and for once it made him uncomfortable, so instead he stared at his paws. "It's just . . . everything changes tonight. Our whole lives. We're starting a new journey, and I don't want to start it as a tom. Everything feels so wrong as a tom. If we're going to start over, then I want to start _everything _over." He glanced back up at her. "As a she-cat."

"Alright," Echofrost mewed simply. "She-cat it is." She turned back toward the medicine den, gesturing for Silentfall to follow with her tail. "Lucky you," she added in a pleasant purr, glancing back over her shoulder, "I prefer she-cats."

Pelt growing hot with embarrassment, Silentfall bounded after her toward the den. Echofrost slunk inside, and it was Silentfall's job to collect the herbs she fished out. _Lucky me, _she thought, because with the exhilaration growing in her chest she thought she would babble mindlessly without the herbs filling her jaws, and then she would undoubtedly wake the medicine cat.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Eat frog-dung!" came Echofrost's rebellious yowl, and the silver tabby sprinted past Silentfall to the camp tunnel, carrying as many herbs as she could carry in her jaws. "Run!"

"Get back here!"

But they were already sprinting, the pines arching high overhead as their paws carried them far from their old home toward a new one. Toward the start of a new life.

_My new life._

They picked up the pace. Moonwatcher was waiting, and they wanted to be gone quickly before any others in ShadowClan could pick up their trail.

* * *

Moonwatcher dipped her head in greeting as Silentfall and Echofrost, the last two of their party, came trotting onto the island, an abundance of herbs in their jaws, more than necessary for the two of them. "Did you steal the entire medicine den?" she mewed in surprise.

"We should have," Echofrost snorted, flicking her nicked ear, and Silentfall nodded in agreement. "That foxheart can go hunting for his own herbs now!"

"Lichenpuddle too!" Mintberry piped in, golden fur ruffling defiantly. "I'm not his servant anymore!"

"It seems we have a few extra additions," Moonwatcher said before they could get too riled up, and she gestured with her tail to a few unfamiliar cats as she spoke. "Otterpaw and Honeypaw are joining us, and of course, you haven't met Ripplenose, Quickbreeze, or Rowantail." She turned to the last two, dipping her head respectfully. "Your wisdom and experience will be welcome on this journey."

Quickbreeze nodded, clearly flustered at the praise, but Rowantail cast a wary eye around the clearing. "This is a lot of cats to keep track of," she mewed uncertainly. "Too many, maybe?"

"We will welcome any and all cats that wish to join our pursuit of a new future," Moonwatcher replied, a firmness edging into her tone. Rowantail held her gaze a moment, burning amber meeting sky blue, before the older cat nodded and settled. Satisfied, Moonwatcher rose her voice. "Is there anything any cat wishes to say before we go?"

"Just that this is exciting," Acornnose burst out, and the apprentices mewed agreement.

"I look forward to traveling with you all," Quickbreeze mewed amiably, followed by many meows of greeting.

"Lead us well, Moonwatcher," Stoneskip said, and the island was filled with the cacophony of trusting declarations from their merry band, loud enough Moonwatcher had to shush them.

"We do not want to be found out so soon," she quieted them. "Is there anything else?"

A shuffling of paws, and all glanced toward Silentfall. "Call me a she-cat."

Silence, a few nods, and Stoneskip sighed, "There goes my chance at a tom friend."

Ripplenose gave a purr of laughter, bumping shoulders with him. "If I'm not too terrible a replacement, perhaps I can be your friend?"

"Is that all?" Moonwatcher asked the group as her brother settled down next to Stoneskip, and after a few shaking heads, she nodded. "Then we set out now. East, toward the rising sun."

"Toward Twolegplace," Rowantail muttered, wrinkling her nose. She led the way onto the tree trunk bridge, and they all started to file across it.

"It's going to be hard to navigate that place with so many of us," Lightpool murmured agreement.

"The locals can help," Moonwatcher mewed, watching her charges shuffle along the rough bark.

"Assuming we don't scare those fat kittypets off," Otterpaw purred, hopping in toward the end of the line.

Most of them were across, Mintberry and Stoneskip waiting for Moonwatcher to cross first. Before she placed her first paw on the trunk, however, there was a rustling in the bushes, and she turned just in time to see a small white cat burst from the foliage.

"Wait," Tinypaw gasped, rather comically spitting out a mouthful of leaves. "Take me with you. I hate it here. Every cat treats me like dirt!"

"Are you sure?" Moonwatcher asked, already knowing the answer. Tinypaw nodded fiercely. She glanced back to her companions, and the siblings shrugged.

"Echofrost brought extra herbs," Mintberry mewed padding forward to sniff at the pile of leaves left behind. "It wasn't enough for a fully grown cat, so she didn't bother bringing it, but you're small enough."

"Welcome aboard, Tinypaw," Moonwatcher mewed fondly, pressing up against her nestmate.

The sun was starting to rise above the horizon as they crossed the log. Soon, the Clans would be waking up, noticing their missing cats and herbs, and starting a search for the thieves, but they would be long gone by then. Far, far away, on the journey toward a new home.

* * *

**and now I request input.**

**The second installment of this multi-book series is incomplete. This fic was finished before I began posting it, allowing me to set an update schedule. Would you prefer to wait a while for the next installment and have a clear, reliable schedule, or would you like it better if I simply posted them as I wrote them, potentially getting it out sooner but coming with unreliable update speeds? Input on this matter is very welcome. **

**Thank you all for reading, and I hope you join me as we continue this adventure!**

**fin**


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